The Jade Mask
by Shadoobie
Summary: Occuring during the story of X-2, a stranger suffers a culture shock after being thrown into Spira from a completely different world. And Yojimbo will not settle for Banishment, he insists on existence by clinging to his former master. Please Review...
1. Default Chapter

"The Jade Mask"  
Chapter One  
The Unwanted Quest  
  
It was just another day in the country; just another spring day in the quiet, lonely country. Traffic was extinct, people were all at home by now, and some of the songbirds were beginning to come alive and sing. The wind still had a little bit of its old winter sting to it, but one could hardly notice the slight chill. The sun was concealed by virgin white clouds, but the rays were intoxicatingly warm when not hidden.  
The highway was naked, and the breeze was slight, making the trees only whisper. Along the side of the road was a barefooted traveler, having been carrying her shoes in the bag hanging from her shoulders. She was used to not wearing shoes now this way for what felt like ages. The soles of her feet were callused over and tough, allowing her no notice of the rough gravel and miniscule shards of glass that she might have been stepping on. It was routine by now, so had her feet not been so tough she still wouldn't have noticed.  
Her shoulder length, dark brown hair remained behind her, suspended by a ponytail that kept it out of her way. The rest of her head was covered by a black "do-rag" that was knotted in the back. Her bangs were long, far passed her chin, and they wouldn't remain behind her ears so she was constantly concealing them beneath some sort of cover. In fact she bitter- sweetly remembered a long forgotten joke as to whether or not she even had a forehead, having had it covered for the past decade, give or take a year or so. Whether her peers liked her sense of hair care was of no concern to her, as long as nothing distracted her.  
In the backpack she carried, aside from her casual footwear, were a change of more public suited clothing as well as some other odds and ends that she always carried with her. At the moment she wasn't wearing her work clothes, having ditched the look of the coffee house dishwasher hours ago, but instead sported a more Eastern oriented ensemble. A white, heavy fabric shirt with the sleeves folded up to the middle of her strong, muscled upper arms that folded left-over-right in the front, tying together at both sides. It was very similar to a bath robe, but wasn't meant to keep someone warm after a shower.  
Although there were drawstring trousers to match the shirt, she had them stuffed in the backpack and wore her more favored, faded sweatpants that'd she had since five years ago. She didn't much care for the white, black trimmed pants that were meant to be worn with the shirt, although it was the proper way to be presented.  
Today was a very special day, and all over what some would see as the simplest of things. Her withheld inner happiness was all in thanks to the belt that was peculiarly tied around her waist, keeping the shirt in place. It was made from a thick, slightly stiff, deep black material, and the ends hung down, passing the length of the shirt that covered the front and back of her thighs. It had her name embroidered on it in brilliant yellow letters, and she couldn't stop herself from smiling, or believing she had finally received such an honor.  
After five, long, grueling years of training, she had finally tested for and receive her Black Belt. She had at long last realized a dream she had been trying to since she was able to walk. Her heart fluttered in her chest at the pride that swelled inside from having finally earned it.  
True, the art she had been studying wasn't well regarded by some of the other styles; having been deemed "too commercial", or "too superficial". She did not see it as such. To her, this art was her life, and her life was fabulous. True, it was a little bit over-westernized, and it was-more or less- a mix of all the other arts that have existed over the centuries, but it still was an art. No one could ever even dream to take away the joy she felt whenever she would practice, or compete, or even walk through the gym door in either leaving or arrival. Martial Arts had truly become her way of life.  
Aside from having achieved this, she was also celebrating another special occasion. However, this didn't over joy her as much as gaining her Black Belt.  
_"Man...twenty-one, you're really starting to get up in age, ain't ya?"  
_ She laughed a little to herself; yes, it was her twenty-first birthday. She shook her head, knowing that more likely than not her mother was waiting for her at home ready to throw her some sort of shin-dig to celebrate; despite how much she told her not to. Sure, she still lived with her parents, but it wasn't a burden, it was more or less a privilege. Without her beloved parents, she would've never come to know Martial Arts, and without that, she never would've lived to see her sixteenth birthday.  
Her past wasn't exactly the greatest thing to discuss; certainly not something you would bring up in casual conversation. She was one of the thousands of children out there who were chastised due to their differences from everyone else. The kids didn't like the way she talked, the way she dressed, the way she thought, or where she had come from, so they teased her. She didn't ask for it, she didn't provoke the violence, but regardless of this it came all the same. She seemed beyond hope by the time her mother had discovered the school in town, and it was a God sent from day one. She had never been so happy.  
Enough of that; today was too great a day to be thinking back on that crap, it was time to live life.  
And she intended to. After returning from the city and her Belt Exam, she realized she was now at the legal age to drink. Although it really shouldn't be something to get excited about, she was quite excited. She wasn't an alcoholic or anything, but she did enjoy a little lager every now and then. Once she was within ten miles of home she had taken a detour to the nearest ABC and picked up a bottle or two (or three...or more) of something fruity flavored for the walk home. Within another mile's walk she would be at her favorite place to sit and think and drink. Not once had she gotten seriously slammed; never had she had a hangover, nor had she ever been a violent drunk. When she got that warm and fuzzy feeling inside, she felt calm and relaxed and happy; she was more likely to fall asleep than pick a fight. Plus, she was always alone when drinking, so there never really was a danger for anyone.  
By now she had walked nearly seven miles and wasn't even tired. Hell, after training for so long she could easily sprint five and maybe have to stop for a moment to catch her breath. She had reached her spot, an open field surrounded by trees giving cool shade to where she sat. She took one bottle, still cold out of her backpack, and popped off the tin cap before sitting back against an old Japanese Plum tree. The drink fizzed and slightly burned as it went down her throat, leaving behind the taste of raspberry that she covetously savored.  
_"The best thing is...it's legal,"_ she laughed to herself.  
Of course her sensei would be ashamed, maybe even strip her of her Belt, but hey; this was her personal time, and she highly doubted the chance of using her knowledge of the art in a drunken rage. No, she was far beyond that. She held human life in too high a value to want to use her skill so carelessly and with such readiness. She was slow to anger, as any warrior should be.  
An hour went by, then another half, and two hours she had drank all of the liquor. Surprisingly it had affected her more strongly than before; probably from having been so used to drinking only the water for the past five years. Her tolerance used to be relatively high, not getting sleepy until her sixth; but she usually drank rather slowly, perhaps that had something to do with it.  
Hey eyelids were heavy, and she had trouble keeping them open. The sun was peeking through the violet leaves of the palm tree and warming her skin, making her feel comfortable and warm all over instead of just inside.  
_"Well, I've been walking all day, I think I'll take a quick nap; no harm in that,"  
_ She crossed her arms over her chest and crossed her ankles as her head fell back against the tree trunk. Not exactly the softest of place to take a quick snooze, but she liked it enough. Within a minute, maybe not even that, she was fast asleep.  
----------  
She dreamed as she slept; unusual dreams to be exact. Normally her dreams made sense, despite the oddities they might contain. No, this one was by far the strangest. There were fireflies everywhere, strange balls of light with rainbows trailing behind them; and everything was skewed into a nearly nauseating pink light all around. Then there was this music; it was upbeat and had a nice rhythm-having once been an avid musician, it appealed to her taste a little. This went on for only a few fleeting moments before everything, even the flying lights faded into black and the dream disappeared.  
She only thought she had been asleep a few minutes when she found herself waking again. She yawned before opening her eyes, thinking if the sun was still up it would surely give her a nice blast of bright, stinging light. She rolled over and then sat up, finally bringing her eyes to open.  
_"What in the name of..."_  
This wasn't the same place she fell asleep in. No, the trees seemed to have disappeared along with the lush grass and gentle breeze. Even the sun seemed to have taken a quick vacation. She looked around frantically, suddenly realizing how cold it was. It could easily pass for winter at this temperature! Looking up she saw clouds, dark and gray, spewing thick flakes of snow. Looking down she saw drab colored stone and ice...and a sheer cliff face about ninety feet from the nearest ground that was most likely hidden by the dense fog.  
Her breath immediately escaped her and she started shaking; not form the cold but from deep terror. Sure, she was a lionhearted warrior, but not when it came to heights. Heights were the only thing she couldn't ever come to grips with. She blindly reached behind her and found her backpack, still full of everything but the liquor. She immediately pulled out her shoes and put them on, her feet already beginning to burn from the snow beneath her. There was also a sweat jacket in the back, and she zipped that quickly up to keep herself warm.  
_"Okay...situation; very bad if not terribly awkward, solution...I haven't the slightest. I suppose I could try-ugh-climbing to the top, maybe from there I can figure out where I am. Man, this is the weirdest drunk dream I've ever had."  
_ She steadied herself as she stood and started making her way up the steep mountain trail. It was a hard, cold climb, but within time she could see what looked like a watchtower, or some other sort of building. At that time she was relived, but it was short lived. Her fingers were numb and she knew blisters would soon follow, but her fear was crippling her ability to proceed at a quick pace. She was so afraid of falling, and the winds weren't helping to ease her fright. They liked to blow her off the side at any second.  
_"Why couldn't they have tested us for this sort of thing; heaven forbid I should ever become a teacher!"_  
Her heart was going a mile a minute and her legs felt like jell-o from the fear shooting through her like the burning of liquor. She fell onto her backside once she reached the foot of what she now realized to be a pile of ruins. Well, she thought, it's better than nothing I suppose. She got up and brushed the snow off her rear and was about to enter the stone monument when she heard an all too familiar sound.  
A gun was just fired.  
_"Oh great, this is just fan-fucking-tastic! I just hope whoever it is doesn't want to fight, that's the last thing I need right now; I'm bum- fucked enough as it is."  
_ She took the loose ends of her backpack straps and tied them in a knot around her waist, keeping them out of the way and it kept it from swinging when she ran, if push did come to shove. Despite her teachings of being courageous, it's okay to run if things were out of your league. Personally, she'd sooner run than be shot between the eyes.  
She found her way onto a path that lead further towards the ruin, and occasionally veered off of it when more gun shots were heard. Luckily none had come at her yet, or she would've been down this mountain faster than you could spit. Eventually she reached the end of the path, freezing and almost screaming when she saw the giant corpse of a dead, spider like creature. Now, she wasn't much for screaming, especially in a high, feminine voice; but now she would gladly sing Maria Carey if this thing were still alive. A little squeak did manage to eek out, but nothing she thought would be heard by anyone.  
She crept around the dead insect and found a pillar that lead straight for the very top of the ruins. Seeing a few compromises in the structure, and despite the throbbing in her now bleeding cold hands, she climbed the stone column.  
_"Damn it...hands...HURT! Lousy dishwater; that's the last time I work in a Dish Pit!"_  
Her teeth clenched tightly and her jaw cramped as her fingers burned and the skin tore further open. She left bloody handprints up the length of the pillar until she at last reached the top. She looked around and shrugged, realizing she had come up here for nothing. Nothing but mountains for miles; well, there was an inviting patch of green to the south, but there didn't seem to be anything there worth getting excited about. She shook her head, feeling the despair at last starting to rise up in her insides. This was quickly becoming a very bad situation.  
One which would just as suddenly become an even worse situation.  
When she turned to go back down and try to get off this frost-bitten, God forsaken mountain, she froze, and her reflexes kicked in as there was a quick gleam of light in her face. The edge of a large blade shimmered in what light was present, alerting her of an armed attacker. She was relieved slightly that it wasn't the one with the gun.  
In a split second of realizing she was under assault, her bleeding hands came in front of her, the palms clapped together around the broad sides of the blade. The tip and the edge of the large weapon was only inches form her nose. The edge was cutting into her palms which were slick already with her own blood. The wielder continued to push on the weapon, trying to force the blade through her palms to cut her down.  
She glanced back and saw a pair of violet eyes staring back at her. An expression of absolute calm was etched on the pail, fair figured face. Within seconds she realized she was fighting another woman; her hair cut quite short and brushed back, having a color of gray, maybe even white. However, she didn't look a day over eighteen.  
_ "Shit, this really hurts! I can't stay like this; I got to get this weapon out of her hands,"  
_ Without a second more of thought, she push the blade aside, letting go of it completely as she turned around, throwing out her right leg to belt it across her assaulter's face. When nothing collided with the back of her foot, her instinct was that the fair haired woman ducked, and she took this to her advantage. Now facing front again she lunged forward, grabbed the swordswoman's right shoulder, and used it to steady herself as she flipped clear over to the other side.  
She thought she was in the clear when her nerves jolted with a loud bang stinging her ears. She kept moving, flipping backwards as bullets ricocheted off the stone as they were shot at her from somewhere.  
_"Don't stop-don't stop-don't stop!!!"_  
At last she reached the edge of the circular roof of the ruins, and pulled her knees into her chest when she at last jumped off the edge, allowing her body to roll as it fell for the ground. She landed cat like onto her feet and made a break for it like a chicken with its head cut off. Another bullet struck at her heels but it was the last round fired.  
The cold mountain air stung her lungs as she ran, but it was of little concern as she turned a corner. She thought she was home free when she tripped over something that seemed to appear out of thin air. Her face hit the ground and skidded over the cold stone, tearing a nice red mark across the left side of her face. She quickly rolled onto her back and sprang to her feet, taking a defensive stance in readiness for a fight. It was unavoidable now; she would have to defend herself.  
A second went by...then two...then three...then a whole damn minute! What were these crack head's playing at?!  
She looked around frantically, breathing heavily as she waited to be attacked. The path she had run was clear, something had to have tripped her; there was no other explanation to it. Then it happened; out from behind a fallen, crumbling stone block jumped a third person. She leaned back, bending her knees as her third attacker soared clear over her head. At one glance she realized it was another woman, a bright golden blonde who seemed even younger than the last. What is with these kids?!  
Once having touched ground, the young blonde immediately came at her with a pair of long daggers, blades pointed down, handling them with the skill of a seasoned master. She was quick, very quick, even slicing a small lock of her brown hair from her ponytail, but that was all the damage she could managed. The Black Belt bent and bowed and flipped about like a Mexican Jumping Bean, evading while attempting to attack as well. Her first thought was to sweep the kid's feet from beneath her, but that didn't seem to work as she was just as agile as any Black Belt she had ever sparred with.  
In one instance, the kid came at her, blades poised, but she had already predicted that technique. Although she only knew one weapon well enough to use it, self defense class dealt with all kinds of weapons, the dagger being one.  
The girl was going to cross her arms and try to slice open her throat, but she forced her wrists to strike hers before they came so close, knocking the weapons from her hands, sending them ringing to the ground. She quickly grabbed the girl's wrists, turned completely around, stuck her hip into the kid's stomach, and threw her clear over.  
Surprisingly the kid broke the fall by rolling and did such a technique right back to her feet, bouncing gleefully and giggling as she looked back. She was confused, how could anyone be so damn cheerful at a time like this?! By now, she at last deduced, she'd had enough, she couldn't let this fight go on any longer or someone was going to be seriously hurt.  
The blonde was quick to come back and balled up her fist to sock her in the jaw. Now she was focused, and this was an all too easy maneuver to foil. Stepping out with her left foot, she steadied herself and she brought up her left arm, diverting the flying fist. Having their wrists forced together, the Black Belt finished executing the procedure by firmly grabbing the girl's wrist and the bright colored scarf around her neck, using her back leg to force her feet from beneath her, and twisted her arm as she pulled it across her still bent knee. Her empty fist was now clenched and at the ready to deal the finishing blow, but waited to see if she would give up first after getting over the great pain she had to have been feeling in her shoulder.  
"Ow, ow, you big meanie; why do you have to be so rough?!" the girl shouted in a high pitched tone.  
She didn't answer, but waited. She heard footsteps behind her; apparently the other two that were with her on the roof were coming to the blonde's rescue.  
"Don't hurt her!" the gunner pleaded; another woman, with a rather soft voice.  
"Lower your weapons...and I'll let her go," she panted, trying to calm herself, her fist still clenched at the ready.  
"Let her go or I'll run you through,"  
She glanced and saw the sword wielder, the blade pointed at her and gleaming with bloodlust.  
"Lower your weapons, I don't want to fight you; and I especially don't want to hurt anyone! So please, just put them down,"  
When she saw that their arms were put away, she lent the young woman a hand and helped her to her feet. Even though she apologized if she had indeed hurt her, the teen still punched her in the arm before joining her two companions' sides. Now, since the initial skirmish was over, the Black belt held up her bloodied hands in surrender and turned to fully face her recent attackers.  
_"What on earth...are these women not COLD?! What in the hell are they wearing?! That certainly isn't clothes; I don't think that can even constitute as underwear!"  
_ She had to admit she was rather...confused-for lack of a better word-at their choice of attire. Especially the woman who carried the pair of pistols. She was wearing what she liked to call "impossible pants"; being called such in the case that they were so small it was impossible to get a wedgie while wearing them. Even if you did it would look as if the garment had been swallowed. Personally they reminded her of cheerleader bloomers. She snickered inwardly at this.  
And the blonde was in a freaking bikini! In this weather! Man, she thought to herself, she must be one of those really special blondes; and she just shook her head later about it. The woman on the far right had on the most clothes, though hers weren't much further from naked as the other two. Hers actually could pass for shorts, but the paleness of her skin made the martial artist think if she stood in front of an open refrigerator she'd get sunburn.  
"Alright; it's obvious that this is probably my fault, so let me just say I apologize if I startled you; but in all honesty I had no intention of fighting you." She tried to explain, the cold now beginning to make her teeth click together with her shivering.  
"Sure could've fooled me!" The blonde one snapped, rubbing her shoulder sympathetically.  
"What faction are you with?" asked the dark one coldly.  
She was genuinely confused. "Come again?"  
"Who do you hunt Spheres for?!" she restated in a more harsh tone.  
"Um...no...?"  
"You're saying you're not a Sphere Hunter?"  
"If I knew what that was I could tell you," she replied honestly. "But my guess is that I'm not,"  
The woman's violet eyes simply narrowed like the edge of her sword, staring at her with an arctic edge.  
"Well, if you're not hunting Spheres...then what are you doing all the way up here?" The one on the left asked, she suddenly noticed that her eyes were each different colors; one emerald, the other sapphire.  
"I was kind of hoping you could tell me; well, that was before you were shooting at me,"  
"You mean you don't know where you are?"  
"Um...no,"  
"Well, where are you from?"  
"The...United States,"  
"Where's that?"  
"Well tell me where I am and I could tell you that,"  
"You're on top Mount Gagezet, and this world is Spira,"  
Her eyes became wide and shock took her over. What in the blue fuck is going on?! I only had a couple of drinks, no way I could've been warped to a-whole-nother dimension over a few bottles of liquor! No, no, no, calm down; don't lose your cool, you won't get anywhere that way.  
"Okay, I'm going to be blunt with you, and it's your choice to believe me or not, but I'm not from this... 'Spira'; I'm from a completely different planet,"  
The three of them looked on in disbelief and shock. The dark one just continued to glare doom at her along with her amazement.  
"I know that sounds a little goofy, but it's true. I fell asleep beneath a tree near my home, and I woke up on the mountain, that's what happened and that's all I can explain."  
The blonde one cocked her head to one side, looking at her awkwardly. Then she just blurted the word "huddle", and the three of them got together, whispering amongst themselves. She stood there and watched, totally confused as her hands at last fell to her sides, the blood no longer falling down her jacket sleeves, but dripping to the ground.  
After what felt like ten minutes, the group meeting broke up and the three of them lined up in the order they were previously.  
"Would you like to come with us?" asked the gunner, smiling slightly.  
She looked back at her strangely, not sure how to react.  
"No offense, but if it's too much trouble, I can make it down myself, I'm sure; I don't want to be a burden,"  
"Rikku thinks you'd make a decent Sphere Hunter," the dark one said, almost with disappointment.  
"Yeah; although you can be a little rough, LeBlanc won't stand a chance with you on our side!" the blonde one seemed to celebrate her own little festival when she spoke.  
"So what do you say; join us?" the gunner asked again.  
She thought about it, she didn't want to answer too quickly, even though her hands were now numb with the pain, and her toes were tingling from the cold of the snow.  
_"Although they tried to kill me, I suppose it wouldn't...well, maybe it would hurt; I can't really say I trust the one on the right. Aw hell, why not; it's not like I'm getting anywhere on my own. Who knows, this 'Sphere Hunting' could be fun, give me a chance to focus my skills to a purpose."  
_ "Do you think you could help me get back home?"  
"I'm not sure, but we'll try our best,"  
"Then I guess I'm at your service," she decided finally, respectively bowing, but not lowering her eyes. Common sense kept her from that.  
"Cool; welcome to the Gullwings!" Rikku cheered.  
"The who?"  
"What, are you deaf? I said 'Gullwings', duh! That's who we are!"  
"Holy Mary, mother of Mayonnaise; this kid's got way too much energy, she'll end up driving me crazy."  
"So what's your name?"  
"Andrea," she answered hesitantly. "And you're...Rikku?"  
"Yup; I'm Rikku, this is my cousin, Yunie, and this fun loving party animal is Paine. Don't worry; the chill will go away after a while,"  
"That's a comforting thought; so...no hard feelings about...all that?"  
"Nah, it's okay; you just kind of scared us, that's all. I wasn't scared of course, but you know how it is, I got look out for my teammates,"  
Andrea just cocked an eyebrow at her, apparently not impressed.  
"In fact, do you think you could teach me that?" Rikku asked excitedly.  
"I...I-I suppose so; I don't see why not,"  
"Whoo-hoo! This is going to be so awesome!"  
  
After returning Rikku her daggers, the four of them arranged over some sort of communicator hidden somewhere on them for some guy named "Brother" to pick them up. With what little of the conversation she heard, it appeared that "Brother" had some serious issues with the woman Rikku called "Yunie". Andrea wasn't sure that was actually her name, but now it wasn't much of a priority to be sure. From that moment on she was cautious of Paine; she was keen to stay a decent distance from her at all times.  
Well, I guess this wasn't such a bad start, although she was still confused as to how she got here in the first place. Hopefully it wouldn't be too long before they at least had an explanation as to how she came to be in Spira. Maybe then there would be a way to send her home. She began wondering if she was ever going to be able to get back. It was almost scaring her, and already she was homesick. 


	2. Chapter 2

"The Jade Mask"  
Chapter Two  
I Didn't Ask to Come  
  
Andrea was astounded by the greatness of the Celsius airship; she had never seen anything like it before. Although she had never been very keen to fly at all, the airship wasn't so gut wrenching to board as so many other planes she had flown on from tournament to tournament in the past.  
First she was taken to the bridge to meet the crew; they seemed normal, all things considered. The small Shinra said very little and Brother lay on the floor, grumbling as if in pain. Apparently he had jumped ship at some point earlier and was now suffering his rash decision making. It didn't take long for Andrea to realize the painfully obvious crush Brother had on Yuna-having at last been told her real name. The way he tried to sneak in an embrace as the gunner tried to comfort him was all she needed to see to notice it. Later she would be told he actually was Rikku's older brother, which then justified her kicking him in the stomach and scolding him when they arrived on the bridge.  
A short while after the initial introduction, Rikku urged Yuna to show Andrea around, and to take a look-see at her still bleeding hands. She followed Yuna to the elevator at the back of the bridge and they took it down to the cabin, at least that's what the key pad in the elevator said. It came to a stop and the doors smoothly opened; revealing a short, neon light illuminated hallway. The two of them reached the door at the end which opened involuntarily into a room that reminded Andrea of a bar. It was a welcoming vibe until she noticed the...thing standing behind the counter.  
_"Alright, now I KNOW I'm not on the same planet,"  
_ A blue, bipedal creature manned the bar, its large golden eyes catching hers immediately. It was something like a subspecies of human crossbred with a blue gecko, or something like that.  
"That's Barkeep, he's a Hypello; don't worry, he won't bother you...just don't let him stand behind you."  
Andrea stood there in a stupor for a moment, a look of surprise painted on her face. She was quick to continue following Yuna when the Hypello waved at her.  
She climbed a winding flight of stairs onto an upper floor, a row of beds appearing on her right. Andrea took a seat on the first one she came to and Yuna sat on the next, facing her. Andrea pulled up her sleeves, thankful to realize that there weren't as many blisters as she had first thought. Normally she could stand climbing rough terrain in the cold, but since she started working in the kitchen sink, her hands dried out and would crack open on occasion.  
Yuna took one of Andrea's red hands and started to clean it with a wet cloth. Andrea would wince from time to time, but it didn't hurt that much.  
"Uh...I appreciate you helping me, and again I apologize," Andrea stammered.  
"Apologize for what?"  
"Well, I almost broke your cousin's arm for one,"  
"But you didn't, did you; you held back?"  
"Yeah; like I said before, I don't want to hurt anybody."  
"Then there's nothing to be sorry about, no one was seriously hurt. Where did you learn to fight like that anyway?"  
"W-where I'm from you can go to a school to learn," she seemed hesitant to bring up "home".  
"I see...is it difficult?" she seemed genuinely curious.  
"It all depends, I suppose; you can make it hard, or you can make it easy. It's all in how you approach it; it's all in your heart...ouch,"  
"Sorry," she apologized, having pulled a little too hard in tying the bandage. Yuna, having finished the first, repeated her methodical treatment on her other hand.  
"Why did you decide to help me anyway? You all didn't seem to agree,"  
"Never mind Paine, she just has her way of handling things. But to be honest, your skills are quite incredible-you even dodge bullets, plus I'm a big softy so Rikku always says."  
"Nah, it's not that you're a softy, you're just compassionate; there's nothing wrong with that. You say it like you help confused wanderers often," she laughed, but the small grin fell flat when she noticed the seriousness of Yuna's expression. In fact she looked on the brink of tears.  
"I-I'm sorry, was it something I said?"  
"N-no, no, it's nothing; I just got a little side-tracked, that's all. Um, I can get your coat washed for you if you like," she said, having finished and wanting to change the subject.  
"What, oh, it's no big deal, blood's been on it before; a few more stains aren't going to make a difference." Despite her excuse, she took it off anyway along with her backpack.  
"What's this?"  
Andrea felt her belt being tugged on and turned to see. Yuna had a hold of one end and was examining it quite closely.  
"Well, when you're taught in the Martial Arts, you have several colors of belts like this to show your skill level. This shows that I'm relatively qualified to teach the art, but I still have several more years before I want to think about it,"  
"Wow, you must be pretty famous where you're from," she said in awe.  
"No, not really, far from it actually; I'm just a dishwasher trying to make my way in the world, whichever one I'm in. I'm not the only Black Belt in my world, there're hundreds."  
"Well, you're the only one in _this_ world,"  
"Yeah...I suppose I could look at it that way...I don't know, I just need to sit and think about it for a while. Maybe later; explain this Sphere Hunting, I'm curious as to what it's all about,"  
It took what felt like hours to explain it, at least to where she could understand it. It seemed a lot like simple treasure hunting, considering the regard they hold these Spheres in. It didn't seem all that difficult to grasp; however this "LeBlanc" character that arose into conversation made clear the sort of competition they were up against.  
"So it's safe to say that Sphere Hunting isn't exactly the safest thing in the world to do?"  
"I'm afraid so; I'll be honest in saying there's been quite a few times where we barely escaped with our lives."  
"That's an encouraging thought; well, I suppose lending a hand is the least I can do to repay you for your help."  
"There's no need to repay us, but we welcome the help; do you use a weapon?"  
"I do on occasion, but rarely; I can use light weapons, swords, rods, almost anything you can put in my hands. However I refuse to use firearms...no offense,"  
"None taken; well, you're going to need one eventually for sure, but I think you can handle yourself until then?"  
"Certainly, I'm in no hurry,"  
"Great, would you like me to show you around?"  
"Actually, I think I'll rest for a little while; I think I can find my way on my own, I appreciate the offer though,"  
At that Yuna nodded and went back down the staircase to the bottom floor and left the cabin. Andrea watched her leave, shrugging and slumping onto the bed when she was out of sight. She let her head rest in her sore hands, the stress making it too difficult to hold up any longer. What had she gotten herself into, really? How did she manage to get here by a few bottles of alcohol? She knew for a fact that this was no dream; the pain was by far too real for this to be some figment of imagination. What, she thought; what am I going to do?  
She remembered lying down, but never realized she fell asleep until she woke several hours later, the sky now dark with the setting of sun having passed long ago. Inwardly she hoped that she would awake back beneath the tree, then only a few blocks from her home. But no, it wasn't meant to be so. After a quick bout with despair and doubt, she went back to sleep and didn't wake until morning.  
Andrea forced herself out of the bed despite how tired she felt. She yawned and stretched her arms, chancing a flex of her hands that proved less painful than she expected. She walked over to the railing and looked down into the bar. She took a quick glance, but then jerked back when she saw Yuna behind the bar counter. Her back was turned to her but it looked as if she had a bottle in her hand and was pouring the contents into something. When she was finished she put the bottle into a cabinet beneath the counter and twisted the cap onto a small something that she stuck into a square leather box attatched to her belt. Once finished she quietly left the cabin.  
Andrea was confused. If she didn't know any better, she would've sworn that was a bottle of hard whiskey in Yuna's hand. What on earth would someone like her be doing with whiskey? Well, she thought, best not bother, it's none of my business. At that thought, she went about her ways. After retying her ponytail, resetting her do-rag, and stuffing her loose belongings into her backpack, she went down the stairs with the bag hanging from her shoulders and boarded the elevator.  
"Hey, Andrea, you awake?"  
The voice came out of nowhere, and it had a hint of static to it. She looked around and didn't see anything where it could've come from inside the elevator.  
"Look inside your collar,"  
Andrea did what the voice said and traced the v-formed collar of her uniform. On the right lapel she found a small black speaker, no larger than her thumb. She nodded her head in confirmation and pressed it, figuring that the way to return a message.  
"Yeah, I'm up; you need something?"  
"We're looking into our next mission; we're waiting for you on the bridge,"  
"Copy that, I'll be there in a few,"  
  
Andrea felt awkward when she saw Yuna smile at her when she arrived on the bridge. Although it was probably just a jump to conclusions, she couldn't help but wonder what exactly her problem was. She seemed happy enough, why would someone like her resort to drinking?  
"So..." the words never followed, she was too distracted in her own thoughts to really talk.  
"So...?"  
"Oh, sorry; so what's the mission?"  
"We're getting Sphere waves from Besaid Island; normally, once we get a signal we go hunting for it," Buddy explained. Andrea almost forgot completely that he was even there.  
"So is that where we're going?"  
"Yup, sure is! Hey, Yunie, you think Wakka and Lulu will be surprised to see you?"  
"Um...well...maybe," she replied hesitantly, it was obvious she was a little edgy about this.  
"Hmmm, I sense a story coming on," Andrea mumbled to herself.  
"The least they'll do is scold you for taking off so suddenly," Paine said, sounding actually somewhat friendly, much to Andrea's surprise.  
"I take it you've been to this island before, Yuna?"  
"I used to live there in fact; Wakka and Lulu are like family,"  
"Why did you leave then?"  
"Because she got really-really bored of just sitting around doing nothing!" Rikku butted in. "So I grabbed her up and she's been hunting spheres with us for the past two years!"  
"I see; so basically you were tired of existing and not living?"  
"Um-yes, that's exactly right," Yuna seemed surprised at how well she described it. "How did you know?"  
"Just a lucky guess; not to be offensive, but you're quite easy to read."  
Yuna's cheeks simply went a light pink shade.  
"Well, for your own sake, let's hope you can read some of the fiends we're bound to face so easily," Paine said, sounding as of she had caught her off guard. By the look on her face she must have expected Andrea to start shaking in fear.  
"We'll find out soon enough, right?" She replied; Paine didn't answer.  
----------  
The island of Besaid was a truly beautiful place. It seemed secluded, the weather was fabulous, the ocean was crystal clear from each corner of the island; it was paradise. When the Celsius landed and the four of them disembarked, Andrea simply stood in awe for a moment, trying to take in the immense beauty. She thought deep down that this would be a place she would love to settle in permanently. Yes, this was her idea of home.  
Eventually they encountered the one Yuna called Wakka; a tall, strong looking man with wild red hair. Andrea didn't want to seem rude so she minded her own business while they conversed, but she did manage to overhear something about someone being with child. She shuddered a little inside; the mentioning of pregnancy always seemed to make her queasy.  
From Wakka they receive the information they needed about the sphere the Celsius had honed in on; he said it was hidden in a cave somewhere on the island. There was a long story behind what the sphere might contain, but out of her manners Andrea didn't very closely. Rikku filled her in on the details when they began to search for the cavern.  
Andrea never expected to see ruins on the island, staring up in wonder as they towered overhead. However, she spent little time sightseeing, ever on the lookout for those fiends Paine had mentioned; with some of the strange things she had witnessed so far on this journey, she was almost petrified to think of what these fiends could do.  
After what felt like an eternity of a wild goose chase, they discovered an old, rusted looking door in some of the ruins that lead them into the cave they had been looking for. Strangely they found Wakka waiting inside; apparently he was quite reluctant to find the sphere that was said to be hidden here.  
_"Well, I guess this is what Sphere Hunters are for,"  
_ In a sense, Wakka hired them to retrieve the sphere; thus the Gullwings were on the hunt. Andrea had expected the tunnel to go deep, but it wasn't really that far to be honest. After leaping a gap that seemed to be an abyss in all seriousness, there was a small glint of light at the end of the passage.  
"So...so this is a sphere? What an intriguing little gadget; it's a recording!"  
After taking a moment to view what the sphere stored, there was a slight sense of disappointment in it not being what Wakka had been looking for. Being such, Andrea was quick to forget what she had seen.  
Suddenly there was silence. Something, a living thing had just shifted its massive body about on the stone floor, dragging its great weight.  
"What was that? Sounded huge," Andrea sputtered suddenly, feeling her heart speeding up.  
Then there was this roaring, gurgling sound from a passage behind them, making them turn about to face it. They each drew their weapons, prepared for an imminent attack from some beast in the shadows. Andrea stepped back from the wall she had been leaning against and closer to the group, steadying herself in a fighting stance in preparation.  
The creature roared, strings of thick, acidic drool spilling from its gaping maw and staining the ground. Its deep black eyes shimmered in the dim light of the sphere that remained on its pedestal. Its body was gigantic, measuring at least thirty feet in length, being dragged across the floor by bulky, short legs that were well equipped with talons on each toe.  
"I...I take it this is a fiend?" Andrea asked, seemingly to little too late.  
"No, this is a Flame Dragon," Paine answered.  
_"Oh, so they have Dragons too? This is becoming such a wonderful trip,"  
_ The Flame Dragon opened its massive jaws, taking in a deep breath before exhaling, burping out a long stream of red hot fire. The four of them ducked away, not wanting to be fried to a crisp.  
"Just leave it to the professionals," Paine suggested, taking grip of her sword and charging forward without another word.  
_"I have a strong feeling that she thinks I'm worthless...yeah, I think it's safe to say that. Well, since I'm pretty sure she won't listen to me, I guess I'll just have to prove it."  
_ As the battle continued, Andrea watched the Dragon very closely, trying to become accustomed to its way of fighting. Its hide was tough, this was obvious so it wasn't that much afraid of being hacked or shot at. It was also surprisingly quick; easily dodging a formidable series of blows before actually being hit. It seemed highly dependent on its more finely built, bulky back legs, occasionally rearing up on them to avoid injury. This gave her an idea; a radical, irrational idea, but an idea nonetheless. She would have to move around to face the beast's front; Rikku was closest.  
"Ri-Ri; alley-oop,"  
"What?"  
"Just stand still!"  
Andrea came running up behind Rikku, making a short leap to land on the girl's shoulders then vault high into the air, passing the Dragon's large snout. Upon coming down she landed uneasily on the lizard's nose, making a break across his muzzle and forehead, sliding down the scaly ridge of its back.  
The Dragon had its tail curled upward as it stood upright, turning its head to snap and the Black belt. It missed by hair, allowing Andrea to follow through. She slid down the full length of its back, up the tail and into the air. Once righting herself she extended her right leg, falling and aiming for the center of the Dragon's spine. When struck it sounded as if a porcelain vase had been broken as dozens of vertebrae shattered into pieces. The Dragon collapsed onto its belly, screaming a shrill note and spouting flames from its nostrils in agony. Its back legs twitched involuntarily, eventually falling completely limp.  
Although it had lost all feeling in its rear end, the Flame Dragon was still quite deadly. It flailed its still mobile claws in a rage despite how it made the beast lie on its huge belly. And the flame from its gut was still an ever present danger.  
"Put a bullet between its eyes, Yuna!" Andrea shouted, backing away from the monster.  
"That hide's as hard as a rock!"  
"Then put it IN its eye!"  
Yuna looked at her with uncertainty, but Andrea urged her to take the shot. With very careful aim and a truck load of patience, she pulled the trigger and put out the Dragon's eyes. It took a moment, but it eventually lay dead, dark, sticky blood oozing from its half open mouth.  
"Well, that was fun," Rikku panted, seeming not to have been phased by the battle; in fact she was even smiling.  
"Let's just grab the sphere and get going," Paine said quickly, pacing out of the chamber.  
Andrea eyed her as she left, feeling slightly uneasy about her attitude.  
"What's she mad about now?"  
"There's no telling with her; if she wants us to know, she'll tell us," Rikku answered, sounding as if she had explained it before. "She's probably cranky about how you ever so awesomely discombobulated that thing!"  
Yuna and Andrea both gave her an awkward look. She simply giggled gleefully and grabbed the sphere before skipping-yes skipping-out of the chamber and down the passageway.  
"You sure she's your cousin?"  
"Only by marriage," she sounded relieved to say as she laughed.  
----------  
"Last I saw her she was headed for the elevator; my guess is that she went topside to the deck," Buddy informed them once they had returned to the bridge. "She seemed mad about something, although that isn't so great a surprise."  
"Just leave her be, she's always moody; don't let it bother you," Rikku sighed.  
"No, I'll go talk to her," Andrea said. "I want to sort this out before it starts to interfere with our missions."  
Andrea left the bridge and boarded the elevator at the end of the corridor. Once they knew she was gone, everyone rushed to Shinra's monitor, begging him to access the security cameras for the deck. They didn't want to miss anything, certain this would be something worth seeing.  
"I have fifty Gil on Andrea!" Rikku cheered.  
"I take dat bet and dooble it!" Brother challenged.  
"You're on! Any other takers?"  
"Honestly you two, betting against your teammates; have you no shame?" Shinra asked.  
"Not when money's involved!" the siblings replied in unison.  
Everyone quieted when Andrea appeared on the monitor. Paine was standing at the far end, seeming absorbed in herself as she stared off into the distance ahead.  
  
"Paine, can we talk?"  
"There's nothing for us to talk about," she replied sharply.  
"Apparently there is; why are you so aggressive towards me? Please be honest, I just want to know. Do I threaten you somehow?"  
"Hmph, threaten isn't quite the word; to put it gently, you just get in my way,"  
"Do I; what am I trespassing on your territory or something? If so, I'll do my best from now on to tread more lightly,"  
"It would be in your best interests, believe me,"  
"Is that a threat?"  
"It could become one; a promise even if you're lucky."  
"Is there something you want me to prove to you? If there is, tell me; this is not something we want to sit on for later-this could very well interfere with future missions,"  
"I don't believe your story; prove I can trust you,"  
"No; that's not something that can be proven. It's something that must be surrendered and gained. You are asking for something I cannot give you,"  
"So say you, but one way or another it must be settled; I actually agree with you in that I don't wish it to disrupt business."  
"If those are your ideas then I say we settle this like women,"  
"Again I agree," Paine said finally, smirking slightly to herself as she turned around, socking Andrea soundly across the left cheek with her tightly clenched fist. After a small stumble, Andrea gained regained her footing. Inwardly they agreed that this was going to be very interesting.  
Paine respected the honor in this fight, keeping herself from using her weapon. Andrea was unarmed, thus she would be also. She didn't worry over this however; she was just as good with her hands as she was with a sword.  
Paine's movements were fast, fluent, natural, and sharp to be struck with. She managed to punch Andrea a second time, making blood spill from her nose. However, she was never able to strike her again. Not that she wouldn't try, but Andrea was keen to parry each volley. She would sidestep or divert her punches and do similar motions to miss eating the heel of her boot. She thought it odd, as a matter of fact, that Andrea wasn't even trying to strike back at her. It was like she didn't even want to fight.  
Paine's movements were well executed and quick, yes, but they were highly unorthodox and easy to read to Andrea; she blocked them easily. Although her eyes watered from the pain of her cheek and the throbbing in the bridge of her nose, she was able to remain one step ahead of her. True, she really didn't want to fight her-she really didn't have a reason to-but this appeared to be the only way to make Paine see that she was in no danger from her.  
"Why don't you fight back?!"  
"Why should I? I don't want to hurt you,"  
"Why not; I could easily kill you right now!"  
"Then go ahead,"  
At that she froze, jerking back her fist. She stood in place for a moment, apparently astonished by Andrea's reply. The Black Belt took this second and lunged forward, thrusting her hands out, palms forward, pushing Paine hard in the stomach without really hurting her. She stumbled back, further and further, taken greatly by surprise. Had Andrea not grabbed her by the belt she would've gone over the edge.  
Once over the shock, Paine looked back at Andrea, showing more confusion in her expression than fear, as one might think.  
"You're not afraid to die?"  
"It's not that, but I knew you wouldn't kill me; I trusted you wouldn't,"  
"...Why not let go? Why did you stop me from falling?"  
"By now I'd think you'd trust me never to harm you; seeing as now we're on the same team. Although you were successful in breaking my nose, it's nothing so serious as to forget what lesson I was trying to teach you."  
At that she jerked Paine back up onto the deck and walked away, boarding the elevator. Paine remained on the deck for a while longer, contemplating, trying to comprehend what in all had just happened.  
_"She thinks in such strange dimensions; I fail to see the sense in it. True, she didn't seem to want to cause me any harm, but I still don't understand. Hmmm, perhaps I will eventually, until then I'll just keep a close eye on her."_


	3. Chapter 3

"The Jade Mask"  
Chapter Three  
Wheels of Despair  
  
The next few weeks were truly extraordinary by Andrea's terms. The four of them liked to have traveled the world in only a few days; journeying anywhere from snowcapped peaks to arid, windy deserts. Also they encountered many an interesting character in their various missions to acquire treasure spheres.  
From the second she saw him, Andrea had an awkward feeling about the man Gippal, who apparently had an interesting past with Ri-Ri. (She was beginning to take warmly to the nickname.) She didn't pry, especially when the connection between him and Paine was established; she thought it best to just stay out of it. Sure, she figured they were on better terms than before, but she just kept her curiosity to herself out of respect.  
Andrea didn't think much about man named Nooj; however she held him in rather high esteem considering how he managed to keep a mass of youngsters from running rampant all over creation. She thought him a saint to have such resolve and determination. But anyone with a nickname "Death Seeker" didn't seem likely not to be taken seriously.  
Then there was highly regarded Praetor of New Yevon, Baralai. He seemed a man of calm, but wise nature, and he cared greatly for the well being of his people. Plus, he wasn't so bad looking either, she noted mentally after getting a good look at him. Throughout the course of the next few days in fact, he would never be so far from her mind more often than not.  
One mission to recover a sphere led the Gullwings to the ruins of Zanarkand; which was truly an astonishing place...aside from the dozens and dozens of monkeys running around. True they were cute, but Andrea couldn't help feeling a little creeped out. There was another giant fiend waiting in the shadows for them, the Sanctuary Keeper so it was called. It looked tougher than it was, being several times larger than the Flame Dragon.  
At one point Andrea was finally given the pleasure-or the confusion- of running across the LeBlanc Syndicate. There was little avoiding it considering they had to "liberate" several uniforms so they could infiltrate their headquarters. Andrea strayed far from being involved in this mission, enforcing that it was just simply against her nature to rob people of their clothing. This was all over a half broken sphere, which apparently they thought the Syndicate was holding. Although it was retrieved successfully, not everyone was feeling so happy-go-lucky like usual. Rikku explained it to her later as they sat together on the deck.  
"So what is it that's got her so depressed?"  
"It's a long story really, and it is sad. You see, Yuna used to be a Summoner, and Summoners have to go on a pilgrimage to get something called the Final Aeon. Well, Summoners have Guardians to protect them on the Pilgrimage, and she more or less fell in love with one of them. But after we defeated Sin, we found out that he was only a dream of the Fayth, and that once Sin was gone, he would disappear. It's been two years since then; she may not show it, but she really misses him."  
"I see; I take it that's one of the reasons she left her home on the island?"  
"Yeah; I showed her a sphere and it looked like it was one of him, so she came along to see if she could find him."  
"That is rather depressing; it's amazing how she manages to stay in such good spirits."  
"Yeah it is, but she also has all of her friends to help her along the way. So what do you think about this whole Vegnagun situation?"  
"What do I think? Well, I'm not really sure; all I can really say about it is that we need to tread lightly from now on. It doesn't seem like something we should underestimate. It's obviously being kept secret for a reason, however it would still be best to know what in all it's capable of."  
"You have a good point. If you ask me I'm scared out of my mind about it; I mean, what if Yunie gets too involved? I tried so hard back then to keep her from having to die for that damned Final Summoning; I don't want it to go to waste,"  
"Your cousin certainly does care a great deal for others; I admit I admire that in people. But from what you tell me she was taught from a very early age to hold the people's welfare as priceless; by now it's in her nature and there is little to do about it. The best you can do is to just keep protecting her like you always have and hope it's enough."  
"You certainly know a lot about these sorts of things; how do you do that?"  
"I just take lucky guesses-say what I feel, you know? It just happens to be right more often than not. So where are we headed now?"  
"We're going back to Bevelle with the Syndicate to investigate this whole Vegnagun thing. Personally I don't think we should get involved, but that's just me." She sighed, sounding aggravated.  
"Well, look at it this way; if we don't stop Vegnagun, who will?"  
"I guess you're right, but it just seems out of our league, that's all."  
"And bringing down an entire system of beliefs and destroying age old traditions is in your league?"  
"Not necessarily, but I see your point. What do you think we'll find?"  
"There's no telling, but my gut says we'll discover many interesting things; most of which will not be pleasant I fear."  
Rikku just looked at her awkwardly, but said nothing. Andrea caught her glance and held it, chancing a small smirk before boarding the elevator and leaving Rikku to her thoughts.  
"What if she's right?" Rikku said to herself aloud.  
----------  
_"Perhaps you should've told her about your suspicions; if anyone should know about Yuna's possible addiction it would be her. But it's none of your business, is it? Well, you are team mates after all; maybe it is your business now. No, you don't know for sure, so just keep it to yourself. Never you mind,"  
_ She spent the remainder of that afternoon pacing the halls and thinking, brooding over what she should do. As of yet there wasn't even the slightest clue as to how she was going to return home, so she didn't think much of it, knowing it would distract her too much to do her job. So her mind wandered to as many other things as possible. Although the concept of discovering Vegnagun's secrets were enticing, she didn't want to go there; there would be plenty of time for that later. When she was far too confused to think, she simply shook her head and let it go clear; thinking of nothing instead of everything at once.  
----------  
Tensions ran high as Bevelle became closer and closer. The city didn't seem to be aware of their plans as of yet, but they didn't wish to risk any alarm by storming in there. They landed the Celsius a lengthy walk away from the city limits; from here the four of them spread out several dozen yards from one another so as to draw away attention. They separately crossed the city limit and made their way to the main temple. They made it inside well enough without incident. Eventually the four of them found their way to the underground labyrinth of Bevelle.  
It was dark and stuffy beneath the great city, the tunnels long and anxiety provoking. Andrea's heart was at top speed the entire time since they left the elevator that brought them down here. This was ridiculous; why was she so jumpy? It's not like there was anything to be really afraid of...or was there something her teammates weren't telling her? She thought nothing of it; surely if there was incredible danger down here they'd let her know...wouldn't they?  
The four of them came upon a gigantic chamber of sorts, several towers transferring large amounts of energy down into a great well in the center of the room.  
"All of this was hidden beneath a city? What else are these people hiding?" Andrea asked to herself aloud.  
"It's Yevon, what do you expect?" Rikku replied. Andrea knew little about Yevon's past reputation, but she nodded her head in agreement anyway.  
"Perhaps if we activate the towers we can make our way further down," Paine suggested.  
It was the only plan they had, so there was little argument towards the idea. After a long time of trial and error, the appropriate towers were activated and a set of stairs appeared around the brim of the energy well. They descended quickly, but with caution. This took them deeper into the labyrinth, forcing them to navigate through more ominous, dark passageways.  
  
"I cannot allow you to proceed further."  
The four of them stopped, focusing through the darkness to distinguish a figure from around the shadowed corner.  
"Baralai," the name slipped out of Andrea's mouth in a whisper that went unheard.  
"We know you're hiding Vegnagun here, Baralai; there's no point in trying to stop us." Paine said casually, apparently unshaken by the Praetor's appearance.  
"I'm afraid that for the sake of all Spira I must do whatever within my power to stop you from unearthing that secret."  
The Praetor was armed with a long staff, bladed at each end. Just by the way he wielded the weapon you could tell it wasn't in the least bit new to his use.  
"I've got this, you go on; I'll catch up to you later," Andrea stepped forward.  
"You sure about this; you have noticed he's armed, right?" Paine wondered.  
"Personally I wouldn't want it any other way; yes, I'm positive-now go, who knows how much time you have,"  
"If you insist." Then they were gone down the corridor. The two of them stood there, silent for a moment.  
"So what are you going to do, Baralai? You run, I chase-it would be just an endless game of cat and mouse."  
"Not if I slay the cat before taking leave,"  
----------  
"She certainly has guts, I'll give her that," Rikku said as they ran, wide open down the passageway.  
"It's either too much courage or too little sense," Paine added.  
The three of them ran for what felt like hours, non stop down the dozens of hallways, leading ever downward into the bowels of the labyrinth. Finally, gasping for breath as they came to a stop, they entered another mammoth chamber.  
"Hey...this looks like the same place Vegnagun was being kept in that sphere we found, doesn't it?" Rikku wondered in awe. "But...but it's not here,"  
Truly, it was the same room where the mighty weapon was being celled, however its holster was vacant; only Pyreflies now occupied the place.  
As she looked around, Yuna suddenly felt something, deep down, jerk at her. It was almost like some invisible force had come and stole the breath right out of her body. Within second she found her heart racing, her body trembling in what resembled great fear. This feeling, so long ago forgotten, had returned to haunt her with its chilling familiarity. She remembered this sensation now, and knew it all too well. Yuna was the first to see it coming as she glanced upward into the abyssal shadows surrounding them. She watched with painful fright as the spirit descended, perching on the very platform they stood upon.  
Yes, Vegnagun was nowhere to be found, but in its place stood as equally a powerful weapon. The King of Dragons, The great Fayth Bahamut, stood there, looming over them; all the while casting a thick, malignant shadow over them as his arms lay crossed arrogantly across his chest. Yuna remembered how the great Fayth had not heard her calls before, and knew too well that now would be no different. Once again, she painfully considered; once again she must destroy a faithful Aeon.  
----------  
Baralai was nothing short of a stunning opponent; Andrea was actually breaking a sweat as she continued to preoccupy him. No, he hadn't even touched her yet, but he was still able to keep her on her toes unlike most of her previous fights. He was truly of master of his choice weapon, and also quite gracefully she noticed, but that was a simple mental note to self. However, she was happier in knowing that her battle with him made her remember how to do a back flip, which she had painfully forgotten a while back.  
"Truly you are strange for a cat as you fail to attack your prey," Baralai managed through his volleys.  
"Yes, but isn't it also true that the cat plays with the mouse before finally biting of its head?"  
Baralai took a last ditch effort and swung the end of the staff with all his strength. Leaning back and bending her knees as far as they would go without falling, Andrea allowed it to pass over, leaving her unscathed. He brought it around again, the blade cutting the air in a sharp whistling note. With a short jump she avoided the weapon and made a running charge for the Praetor. He half expected her to try and strike him, but he was taken by surprise when she leaped far over his head to stand behind him and run down the corridor her companions had earlier.  
"We'll continue our little game later, mouse!" She laughed over her shoulder as she bolted down the hallway.  
The Praetor shook his head and slightly grinned.  
"Till next we meet," he said to himself, at last leaving the place by a different route.  
Andrea couldn't have stayed much longer playing with Baralai, despite how much fun she was having with him. No, she had a job to do and a team to think about; fun and games could come later...much later.  
By the time she found them, the Aeon had been banished, a cloud of gleaming Pyreflies in its wake. She entered the great chamber at a casual pace, seeing as running would accomplish nothing more than wasting her energy. The battle was over, no use in rushing into it.  
"Vegnagun?" Andrea asked, at last in earshot.  
"No, it seems Vegnagun knew we were coming and took off, though I'm lost as to how it left." Paine replied.  
"Well that's weird, never heard of a gun getting up and moving...boy what a day this is turning out to be."  
"Is Yuna all right?" She asked, seeing the High Summoner standing in what seemed to be a daze.  
"I think it's best we just leave her alone for a while," then Paine left, hailing the Celsius from her pin sized communicator.  
Rikku and Yuna walked past her without a word, and she could tell by her expression that Yuna was deeply troubled. In fact, she could almost feel the pain tugging at her own heart as it pulled on Yuna.  
Andrea turned to walk out when she kicked something. It made a heavy, metallic sound as it slid on the floor. She looked down and ahead, finding a small circular object lying there. She bent down and picked it up, taking a close look at it. It was about the size of her hand, made from a metal almost like copper, and appeared to be a crest of some kind. The design cut into it was an ornate sort of wheel, or a pagan sun design perhaps. She found interest in the object and stuffed it into the crossing folds of her uniform, thinking to have a closer look at it later. Now Paine was calling for her to follow as Brother was ready to receive them back on the airship.  
----------  
Again Rikku and Andrea were hanging out on the deck of the airship, talking about the recent events that had occurred as they had been since they started hunting spheres together.  
"Yuna seems really depressed over this. I understand how she'd be a little moody about Vegnagun disappearing, but falling into a complete depression?"  
"You don't understand, Andrea, you weren't there." Rikku explained.  
"Then why don't you tell me?"  
"Well, remember when I told you Yuna used to summon Aeons, but that since sin was destroyed they had all disappeared?"  
"Yeah...go on,"  
"Well, somehow...I don't know, but someone summoned and Aeon and it attacked us after were found Vegnagun missing. She had to destroy it,"  
"Oh...now I see. I take it she feels like she just destroyed a part of herself?"  
"Maybe, but also I think it has something to do with Tidus."  
"How?"  
"Well, he was a dream of the Fayth, and if I remember correctly, he was Bahamut's dream."  
"Ouch...I bet that's really gotten to her,"  
"It wouldn't surprise me; I've tried talking to her, but she just doesn't seem to want to talk about it."  
"Then you should just leave her be; if she wants to talk about it, she'll talk about it. It would be wrong to force her to,"  
"You're right. Well, I think I'll go in and pester Paine for a little while, wanna come?"  
"Nah, personally I like the idea of living to see tomorrow,"  
Rikku giggled loudly at the reply before leaving the deck. Andrea was only being honest; she would hate to see Paine annoyed, when she acted like it all the time when she wasn't.  
Now she had the chance to take another look at the strange crest she found. She pulled it from her uniform shirt and held in front of her. It really was an interesting trinket, despite what little she knew about it. However, she could almost swear there was some sort of energy flowing from it; some sort of powerful force.  
_"What are you?"  
_ ----------  
For the next few days, while trying to teach Rikku some of the Art like she had said, Andrea kept a keen eye on Yuna. Her mood seemed to lighten as the days passed, and Andrea saw no sign of her hitting the liquor to help with her depression. This lead her to believe that there really wasn't a problem, maybe it was just a one time thing; a little morning buzz to get her motivated maybe. Well, whatever the case, it wasn't her business anyway.  
Andrea was relieved at how willing Rikku was to pay attention and actually learn what she tried to teach her. However, it was relatively difficult to safely do some of the take-down moves considering she had no durable clothing to hold on to keep Andrea from dropping Rikku onto the hard ground. Unless of course she was willing to risk tearing off her stringy, bikini thing and cause a great deal of chaos. That was the last thing she needed. Despite this, Rikku showed a keen sense for the Arts, learning very quickly.  
When she had the chance, Andrea shied away from the group and asked Shinra to take a look at the strange crest she had found in the Bevelle underground. He seemed genuinely interested in the object, talking to himself in a hurried manner all the while answering his own questions as if he had zoned out of reality entirely. He put the crest through a series of tests until the final results appeared on his monitor.  
"Hmmm, truly fascinating," he said to himself.  
"So what did you find out?"  
"It's like nothing I've ever seen before, and I'm a genius; but it appears to be made from some unknown metal, and carries a tremendous amount of soul energy. If I were to make an educated guess, I'd say it manifested from something of the Farplane."  
"Meaning what? Please, speak to me as if I'm blonde,"  
"I see; in other words, this little trinket is the materialization of a soul from the Farplane. I suppose if you find out how you can call the soul and make it manifest itself on this side of the Nethergate."  
"Really; that is interesting. You have any idea as to what the symbol means?"  
"I'm just a kid. However, now that I have its data stored in my mainframe, I may be able to scan for a match,"  
"You think you could do that for me? Maybe it can help me get back home,"  
Shinra agreed to do the favor, huddling himself over his station and getting straight to work. She retrieved the crest from his grubby little hands and stuffed it back into her shirt, leaving the bridge and taking the elevator to the cabin. Upon arrival she disembarked and went straight to the bar, taking a seat on the first stool she noticed.  
There seemed to be no one around, so she chanced another look at the crest. She set it on the counter and just stared at it, picking at her mind for an idea as to what this was really all about. She believed Shinra's words, but she wished he could tell her how to call the spirit bound inside of it.  
"Perhaps it has something to do with that...that Aeon thing Ri-Ri told me about. Maybe the Aeon had this on him when they fought it."  
She looked at it only a moment longer before shaking her head and putting it away.  
-----------  
There was a long discussion on the bridge the next day. Apparently the Gullwings had gained a new sense of purpose which came into slight conflict with their current occupation as Sphere Hunters. Apparently, since they had now realized and accepted the fact that Vegnagun was on the loose, there was an idea suggested that perhaps they should break from Sphere Hunting for a time and instead help the people of Spira with their inevitable fiend problems...for a price of course.  
Although Andrea thought it absurd to charge people for saving them, she agreed with them in the quick change of pace. Deep down she had always wanted to save people from life threatening monsters; just one of those personal wishes. Once it was unanimous, they were then known as "Your Friendly Neighborhood Gullwings." By the look on everyone's faces, the joy was contagious...or the lack thereof.  
One of their first calls hailed from the Calm Lands. Apparently there was a cavern at the bottom of the gorge near Mt. Gagezet and people had become trapped inside. It seemed like the ideal mission to break in the new and improved Gullwings. So, without second thought, the Celsius was hell bent for the Cave of the Stolen Fayth.  
Inside the caver was a truly wicked clutch of fiends. Some of which even the four of them had trouble defeating. The Rhyos was exceptionally formidable to their party. As they lead the trapped people from the dark confinement of the cavern, Andrea noticed a serious expression on Yuna's face. Like every time before, she went to Rikku for the answers.  
"Yuna came here on her Pilgrimage two years ago; she received one of her most powerful Aeons from this Fayth. Just being here gives me the heebie-jeebies; and can you believe we had to pay that uptight son of a bitch to make him do something? I swear he picked our pockets clean, that shit-kicker! And he was so damn moody you'd think he had cramps!"  
"Really that bad, huh; although that was far too much information, I see your point. Besides, I already had a bad feeling about this place,"  
"You think he'll appear like Bahamut did?"  
"I don't know; I never would've known he was there, I wasn't focusing last time. But I sense a consciousness here, definitely something is down there."  
"Well, now that we have the teleporters in there working again, we should find out soon enough." Rikku swallowed hard, having then realized that they were indeed walking back into the cavern.  
They reached the farthest end of the cave, coming to the teleporter pad that would lead them to the Fayth's chamber. Andrea watched Yuna carefully, taking in her hesitant yet serious manner before she set foot on the contraption and using it to disappear. The three of them followed swiftly behind her, not wanting Yuna to be left alone on the other side for too long.  
Like before the Fayth statue that once was imbedded into the ground had sunken into a deep, abyssal hole leading downward further and further into a shadowy oblivion.  
"You feel that?" Andrea spoke softly as if not to rouse a thing from the darkness. No one seemed to share her perspective.  
"You sense it, don't you, Yuna?" They all shifted glances to the High Summoner who remained still in a state of brooding it seemed.  
"I...I do; he's here, and he is coming. I...can feel the evil infecting the Fayth; it's just like before. I felt it then...the pain is the same."  
"You must confront it, Yuna; we have little other choice," Paine said, as if trying to sound supportive, but not as if she cared.  
"I know...but it's difficult,"  
There was a short silence before Yuna at last drew her twin pistols in preparation.  
A growling, barking sound broke the quiet, followed by the sound of footsteps following behind it. A Lion Dog appeared out of the shadows, baring fangs and gleaming claws. It came to the brim of the sunken pedestal and waited for its master, who was short to grace the Gullwings with his presence.  
Yojimbo's wooden sandals were quiet as he crossed the ground of his chamber, his long, ornate yukata rippling behind his graceful steps. His haori matched the pattern of his robes, camouflaging his figure, hiding his weak points. His face was hidden by a mask, hidden just as well by the shadow cast by his wide brimmed hat. However, all four of them could easily feel his gaze burning holes in them; piercing deep. A quick glance would allow view of his oubi, and the two swords it bound around his waist. One the length of one's arm from wrist to shoulder, not counting the hand; the other was twice that length and nearly dragged on the ground. He at last came to stop next to his faithful pet, standing still and awaiting the imminent confrontation. He showed arrogance, tender as a candle flame, patience like a mountain, and the deadly grace of a serpent. Yes, he was indeed the ideal embodiment of a Samurai; the elegant executioner.  
Yuna could stand the painful memories no more, and wildly pulled both triggers repeatedly, time and time again. The Aeon was quick to retaliate, and so the battle began.  
The situation became quite ugly in a short amount of time. Yojimbo wasn't even staggering while nearly the entire group was about to drop. Rikku was bleeding heavily from one shoulder, the corresponding arm lying dead at her side. The Kozuka, a set of three daggers about the length of one's social finger, had torn through the group, striking her deep in the shoulder and exiting clear through the other side. It was miracle the limb didn't fall off. Yuna had been superficially cut across the cheek with the attack, and was little affected. Paine was out of the techniques range as she was currently trying to manhandle the Lion Dog that had latched its powerful jaws onto her forearm and showed no signs of letting go. The small dagger cut the sleeve of Andrea's uniform, but she didn't appear to be injured.  
A second technique the Aeon showed a fondness for was drawing his short sword and cutting the air literally in half, striking the group at his front to be blasted by a sharp wind. Blood spat from the small, superficial wounds that would appear wherever skin was exposed.  
After what felt like an eternity, the Aeon at last began to show signs of fatigue, leaning forward onto his knee, his chest heaving. However, this didn't seem to deter him from using a third ability he had yet to bless them with.  
At long last Yojimbo resorted to draw his longest sword, his Zanmato. The blade shimmered with a mystic light as he took it skillfully in his hands and charged for them. He made a full counter clockwise turn before butchering the air with the attack. A wave of tremendous energy tore through the chamber, shattering rock and knocking the Gullwings clear from their feet. Rikku did not recover from this assault, lying still on the dirt floor, unable to continue. The remaining three were slow to come back into the fray, the severity of the attack having dazed them.  
"What the hell was that?!" Andrea panicked, overwhelmed.  
"That was Yojimbo's most powerful attack," Yuna panted. "We won't be able to take much more of this,"  
"Any ideas would be good," Paine added before being tackled by Daigoro again.  
Andrea went deep into her mind, looking for anything that may stop him from doing that again. Yuna was right, this needed to end quickly if they were going to survive. There was one thing she could try, one technique she had failed to consider in all of the battles prior. The reason being she hadn't quite mastered it; but this was expected considering she developed it herself. Her main problem was her timing, which was only off by a split second, but a split second was all it took for the skill to fail. If performed correctly, an unarmed fighter may actually shatter the sword of their attacker with their bare hands, literally unharmed. Well, no better time than now to give it another shot.  
"I have an idea; it's a long shot but it just might work,"  
"What do you plan to do?"  
"Get behind me and try to get the party up again, and please be quick; I'm not sure this is going to work,"  
Yuna showed little signs of argument and did as Andrea suggested.  
Andrea took several bold steps towards the weakening warrior Aeon, provoking a glance from him. The look she gave him in return, it showed how she begged him-dared him to do that again. It was as if they actually shared a common bond, a link between them, and he read her thoughts. The Aeon struggled slightly but returned to an upright stance, and he reached for his Zanmato yet again. Andrea readied herself, planting her feet steady and clenching her hands into fists.  
The blade shimmered again like before and he charged. Andrea recalled the angle at which his blade would strike and adjusted her stance accordingly, ready to receive it. She waited, watched the edge of the Zanmato come closer, and closer; at last coming within her reach. She hopped up, allowing her hands to be level with the weapon's path, opened her hands with one palm up with the arm below the waist and the other palm up with the arm above the belt. Her timing seemed perfect as her arms followed through the motion, the one above coming down and the one below thrusting upward. Her timing was perfect, but the technique still failed.  
She had not the strength to break the blade of the Aeon, but caught the weapon's edge instead, acting against the magic in it with brute force. The spell in the sword failed, but the strength behind it threw Andrea clear across the chamber, making her fall hard onto the floor.  
The pain was disorienting and ridiculously intense. Both arms had grown numb, her muscles just seemed to die that very second. Her body felt on fire, burning from the aftershock of the failed magic.  
_"I was...so damn close that time! I just...wasn't strong enough!"  
_ Once she was oriented again, she forced herself to stand by using her still living shoulders to right herself. Her arms hung limp at her sides as she stood, blood dripping from her sliced open palms. The numbness soon faded into painful tingling, then just pain. She regained control of them after a short while. They throbbed fiercely, the muscles screaming in agony.  
She was somewhat relived to see the other Gullwings back, charging to the melee. The Lion Dog was lying comatose off to the side of the Fayth pit and Yojimbo was at last not far form joining his faithful pet and being banished back to the Farplane. The four of them gave it their all in a last ditch effort to end the fight, and it fortunately paid off with their victory.  
As the Pyreflies flew about in the Samurai's wake, the group collapsed to rest a moment, unable to stand.  
"What power; I've never seen anything like it before," Andrea forced out between heavy breaths.  
"Maybe now you'll stop trying to be the hero all the time," Paine sighed tiredly, trying to wipe the Lion Dog spit and blood from her arm.  
"Let's not argue, please," Rikku whined. "Let's just get back to the airship, okay?"  
Andrea remained seated a few moments longer, the others leaving her behind with confidence that she would catch up. She sat near the edge of the abyss, watching it with strange curiosity. Whatever thoughts arose while she looked on she quickly forgot when she stood up, feeling something shift beneath her as she moved.  
Looking down she found something in the dark soil. She uncovered it, pushing the dirt away and plucked it from the ground. Brushing away more of the dark grit, she discovered it to be a mask, a quite ugly one at that. She recalled the style of it from many movies she'd seen back in her world; Shogun being the first to come to her mind. The warriors of that age wore masks like this, the lips pulled back into a fierce display, and the fangs bared and curled up from the jaw in order to scare the pants off a foe. She would think about it later, she mentally noted, and stuffed the new find into her shirt before catching up with the rest of the team to regroup on the Celsius. 


	4. Chapter 4

"The Jade Mask"  
Chapter Four  
Discoveries for Good or Ill  
  
Andrea was sleeping heavily, absolutely worn out from the previous battle with the Aeon, Yojimbo. The thick blanket was lying on the floor, having been thrown off of the bed during her nightly tossing and turning. The sheets were still there, but were hanging over the edge in a tangle. Andrea lay near the head of the bed, sprawled awkwardly across it with the pillows stuffed beneath her head. She snored away with unconscious content, regaining her strength the best way she knew how.  
What dreams she had were the replaying of that moment in the battle when she provoked the Zanmato. Over and over she watched the blade slice the air to cut her down, and over and over she watched how she caught it but failed to break it, how it sliced her palms open and broke both of her arms. Yes, later she discovered that they were in fact broken in several places; but she didn't have to wait long for them to heal. Utilizing the abilities gained by using the Dressphere of a White Mage allowed her wounds to be repaired in a very timely fashion. This was nothing short of God sent. Once her bones were back in one piece she went straight to bed, forgetting completely about the mask she had found in the Fayth's chamber. She stuffed that, the crest and her uniform into her back pack and crawled into bed, unable to think twice before she fell into a coma like state.  
Andrea was rudely awakened by a great weight falling on top of her, almost causing her to fold in half as it settled in the center of her spine.  
"Time to wake up, stumble butt!"  
Andrea just grumbled groggily and stuffed her face into the pillow. When it became obvious that she wasn't going to get up, Rikku started bouncing up and down, forcing the breath out of her in aggravated grunts.  
"C'mon, it's too cute a day to spend in bed; get up!"  
"It ain't that damn cute, Ri-Ri," Andrea groaned.  
"Of course it isn't, not from where you're...lying; come ON!" she urged again, shaking her fiercely by the shoulders.  
"Leave me alone," she said at last, rolling over onto her side and forcing Rikku off of her back. The Al Bhed stood there, her hands on her hips as she stomped her foot in frustration.  
"Can't say I didn't ask nicely," She said before bending down, grabbing hold of the mattress and hurling it clear off the bed frame.  
"Alright, I'm up!!!" Andrea growled as she hit the floor. She fished her way out of the mess and put the bed back together. She sat down on the edge and began massaging her temples, trying to chase off the grogginess.  
"Please tell me you got me up for an important reason," she shrugged.  
"Well, it all depends on what you consider to be important,"  
"Like, Buddy locating another sphere, or perhaps another fiend hunt?"  
"Then no, I didn't; not really important,"  
Andrea just shook her head as she reached for her backpack to put her uniform shirt back on. She was so used to wearing it she almost felt naked without it.  
"Maybe I should start calling you Ri-tard instead of Ri-Ri,"  
"Hey, you big meanie; I was only trying to bring you back to the wide world of consciousness, no need to go and say that, you dweeb!"  
"I was messing with you, Ri-Ri; of all people you should know how to take a joke. How's Yuna doing?"  
"She's still asleep. Don't worry, she's a rock just like you, a cannon couldn't wake her up if she didn't want to be."  
"I can understand; she's been through a lot lately. Can you tell me something?"  
"Maybe; what 'ya want to know?"  
"About Bahamut; what did he look like?" she asked, fishing through her backpack.  
"He was tall and scaly and scary as hell," she shivered slightly as she spoke, apparently shaken by the mere thought of him.  
"Did he have anything that looked like this?" Andrea showed her the crest.  
Rikku snatched it from her hand and took a close look at it, scratching her head as she thought.  
"You know, now that I think about it, he did! He had a large wheel on his back that looked a lot like this! Where did you find it?"  
"In the chamber where I caught up with you guys back beneath Bevelle. It was just lying there on the floor so I picked it up. Shinra said something about it having to do with the Farplane,"  
"What do you think it is?"  
"I'm not sure yet; I have my theories but I haven't had a chance to test them. It's all right; I'm beginning to think I don't want to know what it is."  
"You never know, maybe we can use it,"  
"Maybe...I suppose I'll get about to figuring it out some time or another."  
Just then, the two of them were hailed by the bridge.  
"We've got a read out on some heavy fiend activity on Besaid Island; all hands report to the bridge,"  
"Copy that, Buddy; be there in a few." Andrea replied. "You go ahead; I'll wake Yuna and catch up in a minute."  
"You sure about that? She can be really cranky,"  
"I think I can handle it, go ahead."  
Rikku finally agreed and left the cabin after sliding down the banister and nearly busting her ass on the landing on her way to the elevator. When she was certain she was gone, Andrea quietly walked to Yuna's bedside. She was lying on her side facing the wall and definitely sleeping hard. She went to the other side to face her and stopped, seeing what lie on the floor and feeling her heart sink.  
It was an empty bottle, lying tipped over on the floor next to the bed. Andrea carefully bent down, picked it up and took a quick sniff of the opening at the top of the long neck. She pulled away almost immediately, it reeked of alcohol. Andrea simply shook her head, having confirmed her suspicions. It wasn't only the empty bottle, but she glanced at Yuna's face and knew she was going to feel what she drank. She remembered well the redness in her own face whenever she would get a hangover.  
_"Don't let her know you know, it'll interfere with the mission; wait for the right time to approach her with this. Until then just play dumb."  
_ Andrea thought quick and quietly placed the bottle under the bed, out of sight. She'll think it rolled under there in the night, Andrea figured. Once done she went back to the other side of the bed before shaking Yuna by the shoulder to attempt and wake her.  
"Yuna...hey, Yuna; we're all needed on the bridge,"  
She slowly came to, blinking a couple of times before half turning to see her with blurred vision. Andrea inwardly winced at the redness in Yuna's eyes.  
"Oh...okay, I'll be there in a minute,"  
----------  
Fiends were swarming form the Temple of Yevon Besaid Island in great numbers. Some of the village big wigs wanted to burn it down; but the Gullwings wouldn't allow it. Sure it represented the twisted teachings, but it was a part of the island; burning it would be like cutting off a finger. They cut a deal with Beclem that if they couldn't stop the fiends before a certain time, he'd be free to burn it down whether or not they had returned. Sure it was a tough break, but it was worth it.  
Andrea was surprised at how Yuna seemed so well; she half expected to still see at least her blood shot eyes. No, not a sign anywhere of a hangover. Andrea figured she must've taken a potion or something to chase off the after effects; well, that was considerably good at this point seeing as they had to not only stop the fiends but find Wakka who had carelessly marched into battle without thinking. Oodles and oodles of fun for all as usual.  
They cut it very close, but managed to stop the fiends and find Wakka before he was seriously injured. One could only imagine the earful he received from both Rikku AND Lulu over this little escapade. The four of them came away from all this with the Temple still intact, Andrea had found yet another crest that appeared to be some sort of bell after they had defeated the Aeon Valefor, and Yuna's spirit was further weighted having to banish yet another of her former Fayths.  
There was little learned form this, only that there had to be a connection between Vegnagun and the Aeons reappearing. Also Andrea managed to learn that the crests and the Aeons were also connected. They were in a direct link with one another in fact. However, she had yet to learn anything about the mask that lay nearly forgotten in her back pack.  
----------  
She took this time alone to further examine the mask, no one being around. It still had some dirt caked on it, so she cleaned it as best she could without drawing too much attention to herself. The mask was in fact made from very fine jade, and the fangs protruding from the deformed mouth were carved from ivory. There was also a tuft of hair on the chin, giving the mask a look of a bearded dragon sort of face. She set it down on the bed in front of her and she just sat there, legs crossed, elbows on her knees, chin leaning in her hands, staring at it as if waiting for something to happen.  
_ "Perhaps you have a connection with the Aeons too? Maybe you are Yojimbo's crest? But why would his be so different from the others?"  
_ **"Because I AM different from the others; even you have realized that,"  
** Andrea about swallowed her tongue. The mask hadn't shown any previous signs of life or energy hidden within, but it just spoke. However, the deformed lips never moved an inch. Telepathy was at play here.  
**"You and I have so much in common amazingly; I realized this when I saw you use the Art."  
** _"I figured as much, I suppose it was that one instant where our glances locked. However, the Art is the only way we are alike."  
_ **"So say you; warriors have their differences, but they have far more likenesses."  
** _"You sound so sure,"  
_ **"I am sure; we share a common bond in that we have both come and gone from many battlefields. However, you have yet to return from this one,"  
** Andrea waited before answering. He was right in that respect; now that she thought about it, Spira was little more than a battlefield. It was more or less a war she had yet to return home from.  
_"So maybe you're right, what difference does it make?"_  
** "The difference is that I can help you far more than your companions can. I can help you make it home,"  
** _ "Oh? Is that so; how?"  
_ **"With my mask comes my power, my very essence. With that you can do anything. Just put on the mask, it will allow you to see things no one else can see...do things no one else can do."  
** Andrea hesitated; what if he is lying? If he were a true Samurai he would respect the code of honor, in that he was incapable of lying, especially to a fellow warrior.  
**"Put on the mask, it will allow you to return home,"** his voice hissed like a serpent, poisoning her reason with promises.  
She never realized herself reaching out and picking up the mask in her hands, trembling with anxiety and excitement. His whispers echoed in her mind, over and over. It was almost as if her were trying to take over he sense of self, bend her to his will.  
**"Yes, that's it, put it on,"  
** She closed her eyes, feeling the energy literally flowing from the jade mask as it came closer to being on her.  
_"No...too easy a way out. Wake up, he's lying...WAKE UP!"_  
Her eyes snapped open and she shook her head furiously, chasing his haunting voice out of her head. She threw the mask down, jumping off of the bed and stepping away from it. The voice seemed to have gone and she took this instant to grab a hold of it and take it to the bridge. Shinra had to take a look at this, maybe he could explain it.  
_ "No wait, it's too dangerous. He might try and deceive the others like he did me...best hide it until I can find a way to destroy it."  
_ ----------  
It wasn't long before the Celsius caught wind of another appearance of a fiend raid. This time it was in Kilika, along side the current resistance that New Yevon was putting up against the villagers, barring their way into the temple. As always the Gullwings were keen to face the threat, knowing all too well that there might as well be another Aeon at work there as well.  
They had to carefully sneak past the main gate leading to the Temple road, which would've been easily impossible without the help of a fellow former Summoner who distracted the guards standing watch. However, once they did reach the other side they were discovered and had to haul ass so they wouldn't be caught.  
They eluded the guards well enough and managed to lose them in Kilika woods, but there was no fooling the men at the path barricades, blocking all entrance and exit from the temple. At a sudden stroke of genius, Yuna suggested they take to the trees to reach the temple; it fortunately worked in their favor.  
Like all the others, Kilika temple was teeming with fiends, as if there had been a nest of them hiding inside all along. The monsters stormed out of the temple entrance in droves, unrelenting and out for blood. Also, like the others prior, there was an infected Aeon awaiting them at the end in the Chamber of the Fayth. The great fire demon Ifrit greeted them with an angry roar and a veil of ghostly blue flames to consume any and all standing in its path.  
Defeating the Aeon was no easy task, but the battle ended with his banishment. None of them walked away without at least a slight or severe burn, and Andrea also managed to salvage the Aeon's necklace from the remains left in the chamber. Like all of her other finds she hid it in her uniform and ignored it until she could move it to the seclusion of her backpack.  
----------  
Once the excitement had died down, the Gullwings returned to the relatively peaceful seclusion of the airship. Yuna snuck off to who knows where, Paine went off to do whatever it is that she does when bored, and Rikku followed Andrea to the deck saying she wanted to show her this new Dressphere she had found on the island.  
"So, did you find anything after Ifrit vanished?"  
"Yeah, the necklace he wore was left behind."  
"Have you figured anything out about these doo-dads yet?"  
"All I'm certain of is that they're a direct link to the Aeons, or even the Farplane itself. I'm thinking maybe it's a way to call them, or at least harness some of their power. I'm still not too sure, but never mind that; what did you find in the temple?"  
Rikku pulled the shinning orange orb from her pocket and showed it to her.  
"I haven't given it to Shinra to scan yet, so I don't know what sort of Dressphere it is,"  
"Why don't you find out?"  
"Well, I was thinking on letting you do it, seeing as you've never used one; you never know, you might like it,"  
"Um, okay then...how do they work?"  
"Just focus on the Dressphere and it'll do the rest."  
Andrea looked at her hesitantly at first, but then saw no harm in trying to use this thing. She took a deep breath and exhaled, clearing her mind as she zoned out of the now and focused on the shinning sphere.  
She felt a cold shiver shoot up her spine as a swirling wind rose up around her. She could faintly feel her uniform morph into different attire, light and wavy garments that were long, falling past her wrists and ankles. Her tennis shoes faded away and were replaced by wooden sandals that lifted her a few inches off the ground. A tight belt fitted around her waist and a heavy weapon appeared in her hands. When at last she opened her eyes she took in the effects of the transformation.  
"A Samurai Dressphere," she said absently.  
The yukata was a dark blue from the shoulders to about mid-chest, then was violet from there down and to mid-thigh of the haori where it transitioned back to the midnight sapphire hue. The oubi remained black like her belt, tightly fasted around her waist to hold the tanto dagger in place. Her hands and arms were covered in steel plated guards that went up to the elbow, and she was now armed with a long bladed yari. Also, instead of her original doo-rag, it was replaced by a traditional hachimaki depicting the red sun and two bar designs of red, white and black.  
"Hey, looking sharp! Okay, my turn!"  
Rikku snatched the Dressphere from Andrea's hand excitedly, doing a little somethingorother between a jump and a frolic before actually using it. Andrea was impressed how the garments supplied by the Dressphere actually covered Rikku, unlike many of the other spheres she had seen the Al Bhed don in the past. Her chest was still pretty much on display for all, but at least it was covered better than before.  
The yukata was a dark red and open at the front-go figure-and kept together by an ocean blue and gold oubi. The haori really wasn't a haori at all, but more or less the front of a rob cut form the bottom to about mid- knee and tailored to stay open; she thought it was for better mobility. Rikku was even wearing a kobuto with the white portion of the yin yang blazoned on the makkou. She was wearing similar sandals to hers and now wielded a Tachi sword that was nearly as tall and as wide as she was. It looked extremely heavy, and by the way she had trouble lifting it, it probably was.  
"Great gravy, this thing weighs a freakin' ton!" she said as she strained to lift the massive blade. "Why couldn't I have gotten the spear?"  
"Maybe the sphere knew you could use a stronger pair of arms,"  
"That's not funny! My arms are strong enough, thank you very much!"  
"But not enough to lift your own sword?"  
"Then why don't you try?" she shrugged, stepping away from the weapon with an aggravated expression. Andrea bent down and grabbed the tsuka and pulled upward. It was quite heavy, she had to use both hands, but she was still able to lift it to a ready position by placing her hands far apart as she gripped the handle.  
"I hate it when you do that,"  
"It's the same principle as any other sword," she explained. "Since it's so heavy just keep a wide, steady stance and use your lower hand to push down while the other pulls up on the hilt. Albeit it will still be difficult to swing for a while, but it will be a little easier to wield until you get used to its weight."  
Rikku tried her advice and found she was right. True, it was still very heavy, but at least now she could at least hold it off of the ground.  
"You know, I'm beginning to hope you never have to leave...oh, sorry,"  
Andrea was reminded of her impending home sickness and its appearance had caught her off guard.  
"N-no, no, it's okay; I'm actually beginning to agree with you. I've never really had a group of friends like you and the Gullwings."  
"What? Why not?"  
"To put it in short...people are very cruel in my word; they don't take kindly to differences."  
"I don't understand; are you saying people treated you badly because you were different? That doesn't make any sense,"  
"Few things do where I come from; but I'm honestly beginning to like the simplicity of this place. It's so peaceful here, almost as if I belong here instead of my real home."  
"Then why don't you stay?"  
"Too many things left undone, I suppose; so many things I have yet to do,"  
"I see...but what if you never make it back?"  
"The only thing I can do I guess; just find a way to live here and hope that some day I can go home."  
"I'm sorry if I upset you,"  
"It's nothing; you can't be happy all the time you know,"  
There was a short silence before the alarm went off, once again summoning the Gullwings to the bridge. Rikku made a quick transition out of the Samurai garb and dashed for the elevator. Andrea remained a moment before following behind her.  
----------  
They had received a rather serious distress call from the Al Bhed stationed at Djose Temple. Those on the other end of the message were talking with such hurry and confusion that even Brother had trouble understanding them. Andrea wasn't even listening to the message, not understanding the language anyway. She simply leaned against the railing of the stairwell a few steps from Paine and waited for someone to relay it to her in plain English.  
When the lowdown was at last repeated in a more understandable manner, it was still a little foggy as to what the problem was. Apparently there was some strange Machina terrorizing the Al Bhed at the temple. Sounded like another job for the Gullwings, and they took to it without hesitation.  
When they arrived people were running around like a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off, and gun shots rang out form inside the temple. The Al Bhed were obviously trying to fend off the rogue Machina while they waited for assistance. The four of them wasted no time in traversing the long since forgotten trial to make it to the top. Outside the Chamber of the Fayth, several shaken Al Bhed had rifles pointed to the doorway leading inside. They stood down once they realized the High Summoner and her companions had arrived.  
"Everyone ready?" Yuna asked over her shoulder, standing on the threshold.  
"As ready as ever, Yunie!"  
"You all right, Yuna?" Andrea was just acting concerned.  
"I'm fine...I can do this,"  
They at last crossed the threshold into the Chamber of the Fayth. As in the rest of the temple the sound of electricity sparking was easily heard from within the chamber, but now it was supported by the sound of gears grinding and motors churning in operation. They reached the end of a short passage way that lead to the main chamber, where the statue was meant to rest. However, the Fayth imprisoned in the statue had animated itself before the statue itself fell through into an all too familiar abyss.  
"An Aeon?!" Andrea gasped.  
"Fused with Machina parts, just like they said," Paine finished her sentence.  
The Aeon was Ixion, the unicorn, master of thunder. His legs stumbled a time or two as he stood there, the gears jamming occasionally. Sparks flew from the metal plates fused to his body, and his horn was now equipped with a gleaming, serrated edge. Its eyes shimmered blood red as the engine within roared with life. Honestly, with all this electricity coursing through everything, Andrea felt like she was going into this fight with a lightning rod instead of a yari.  
It was difficult to pierce the Aeon's armor with their weapons, the metal plates deflecting their attacks. When it was obvious physical force wasn't going to win this battle, Rikku took the chance to show her more intellectual side and shift to the Black Mage Dressphere. Now armed with powerful elemental magic, the battle would go more smoothly.  
The four of them pummeled the hybrid Aeon with all they had. Rikku cast her most powerful water spell on the Fayth, causing it to spark and sputter into malfunction. Ixion trembled as his gears jammed, grinding together until the teeth were stripped and no longer worked at all. The engine stalled and started and stalled again, causing the Aeon to lose all control over itself and collapse forced it to the floor. The circuits blew and sparked, some of the limbs twitching as the Aeon lay prostrate on the ground in a wet, smoking heap.  
Yuna stood there over her former Aeon, the expression on her face showing deep anger and finality of all this chaos.  
"I've had enough," she said to herself. "I'm going to get to the bottom of this," and she stormed through the chamber to the statue room.  
The other Gullwings followed behind her, entering the room shortly after.  
"You think we should jump?" Paine asked.  
"We don't even know where it goes," Rikku replied, her voice somewhat squeaky with the fear of possibly having to enter the dark pit.  
"Pyreflies are always coming out of it...my guess is that it leads to the Farplane," Andrea added, trying to be helpful. "What do you think we should do?" She asked Yuna.  
Yuna may have answered the question as she stood on the dark edge of the hole, but it went unheard beneath the roaring of a half flooded engine and flaming metallic joints. They glance back and saw the disabled Machina stomping clumsily through the passageway towards them. It dragged its rear leg and the left hoof in front had fallen clean off, the join destroyed from the flames roaring from the shorted out circuitry.  
"It's going to blow!" Paine shouted.  
Ixion collapsed a final time half way to the chamber, the engine inside of him finally exploding in a rain of fire and hot metal. It funneled through the passage and let itself loose in the statue chamber, filling the whole room with smoke and fire and debris. The sonic boom was so loud it liked to have deafened someone, and it shook the temple's very foundations.  
Rikku and Paine leaped to either side, out of the combustion's main path, and Andrea huddled against the wall close to the door, covering her ears and waiting for the blast to ebb. None of them saw what became of Yuna, who stood at the very crosshairs of the explosion at the edge of the sunken Fayth.  
The shaken soon stopped and the most of the fire had died out when the chaos had finally ended. Smoke filled the chamber, making it nearly impossible to see.  
"Everyone all right?" Paine's voice broke the silence.  
"Fine; scared shitless but fine," Andrea replied, finally standing up.  
"I'm not in my happy place, you guys," Rikku whimpered. "Oh no,"  
"What?"  
"Where's Yunie?!"  
"Oh crap...she was standing there when it exploded...she must've fallen in!" Andrea connected the events and almost immediately panicked.  
Rikku leaped for the edge, yelling out Yuna's name into the endless darkness even though no answer came.  
"What are we going to do?!" Rikku slurred in fear, tears swelling up in her eyes.  
"Should we go in after her?" Andrea asked, looking to Paine for an answer.  
"I don't see why; you said this leads to the Farplane right?"  
"I did, but I'm not positive,"  
"Then wouldn't now be a good time to find out?"  
"Are you telling me to jump...fine; I'll try and contact you if I can,"  
"You're going too?! Why?!" Rikku shuddered.  
"I'm going to find out what's down there, and hopefully find Yuna. Don't worry, I'll be back," She gave Rikku an assuring smile before taking her yari in hand and hopping over the edge and down into the darkness, disappearing in its concealing arms.  
"Paine, you dork; what did you make her go and do that for?!"  
"Better her than us, right?"  
"You cold, hard, bitch! You're head's on crooked, you must be smoking something! What are we going to do if she doesn't make it back, or worse, NEITHER of them come back?!"  
"Then you can be mad, until then chill out before I hurt you,"  
----------  
_"Oh man...my body hurts all over...I must've fallen a really long way."  
_ Andrea at last regained consciousness, apparently having lost it some time during the rapid descent. She had hit the ground quite hard, just enough to dislocate her collar bone, making it stick up from the joint and very painful to breathe. Before opening her eyes she searched about blindly for her spear, beginning to stand upright once she had it in her hands. She used the yari to keep her balance as her body was still stiff.  
Andrea looked around, utterly lost. There was this amber light on the horizon far off into the never ending distance, giving a ghostly light to the dozens of flowered fields and shimmering waterfalls. Pyreflies counted high into countless numbers, and a thin, lavender mist hung over the ground. The connection was short to be made that this was indeed the Farplane.  
_"It's all well and good that my suspicions were correct, but now how do I get out of here?"  
_ She called out Yuna's name, receiving no answer. She took several steps in one direction, looking around and calling again with the same silent response. She scanned feverishly for the high Summoner, at last spotting her in a glen not too far off. She was about to make a dash for it, seeing a figure approaching her, when she was stopped by someone calling from behind. She slid to a stop and turned, certainly surprised by who had appeared.  
A small child wearing a hood, surrounded by Pyreflies and nearly transparent, stood amongst the Farplane flowers. Andrea was about to speak when a great shadow rose up behind the ghost, taking shape and manifesting into a corporeal form. She immediately recognized the infamous wheel mounted on the back of the shadow and made the connection that this was the great Aeon, Bahamut. The child must've been his Fayth. Valefor, Ifrit, and Ixion were short to follow, appearing before her in their pure, uninfected forms.  
"We were hoping you would come here eventually," spoke the child Fayth.  
"Why?"  
"We had to speak with you; there are things we have to tell you. You were right to believe you could call on us by the items we left behind, they are for that sole reason."  
"I see...but I don't understand what I'm doing here; how was I sent here...or better yet, why? When will I be able to go home?"  
"To answer your first question, we Fayth called you for the one reason; to protect the High Summoner. Without your help she will fail and this world will crumble into oblivion."  
"What concern is that of mine?! Sure, Yuna is my friend, but what is this world supposed to mean to me?!"  
"It doesn't have to mean anything to you, but we Fayth have chosen you to help save this world." Bahamut answered.  
"Then why me; surely there are hundreds of others on this world better meant for this job than me?!"  
"Physically, maybe; but no one has your heart. Your compassion goes far deeper than anyone we Fayth have ever seen. You have the strength to save the High Summoner and keep her company from failing."  
"Save the High Summoner; why would anyone need to save her?"  
"You know what is killing her, you know what is slowly plunging her into darkness, and you know how to pull her back from the abyss."  
"That makes no difference to me; she has family and friends, she doesn't need a stranger telling her to stop what she's doing!"  
"But you are the only one who knows, she will tell no one of this,"  
Andrea clenched her fists tightly in frustration.  
"Fine, so maybe you're right, but once I have done this, will you send me home?" she asked angrily.  
"No,"  
_"WHAT?!"_  
"What do you mean 'no'? If I complete the task you brought me here to do, why can't I go back?!"  
"Because even though you achieve that small goal, there is still much else you must do before we can allow you to return."  
"Allow me? What the hell is this 'allow me' bullshit?! I am not your slave to be worked until you say so, damn it, I'm a human being! You have no control over my life!"  
"The moment you found the crest in Bevelle, you forfeited that control to us; you opened Pandora's Box and now you must see through all that escapes."  
Andrea clenched her teeth and began to shake with anger.  
"You tricked me, you manipulating bastards! What makes you think you can play with us humans like we were toys?!"  
"We sacrificed our souls for the preservation of this world; we do whatever we deem necessary to save it."  
She started shaking her head, collapsing to her knees as she found no way out of this mess. She was beaten, and there was no second round to this fight.  
"Fine," she snapped. "Tell me what I have to do...damn you all,"  
"You already know your first task, complete it then we will tell you more."  
Andrea shook her head again before standing stiffly on her feet. She turned from the spirits, ready to make the quick retrieval of Yuna when the child Fayth halted her again.  
"Beware of the Samurai; you must not allow anyone to don his mask or it will mean disaster."  
"Things are disastrous enough as it is, what will a little more chaos change?"  
"He will be your greatest challenge; even we Fayth are uncertain of your chances for victory."  
"And I bet you're all broken up about that, aren't you?"  
"...call us when you need us."  
"Heaven forbid,"  
  
Andrea and Yuna managed to escape the Farplane, ending up back in the Bevelle underground where they were at last able to hail the Celsius. It wasn't long before they were picked up and taken far away from the New Yevon headquarters. Andrea snuck off to the cabin unnoticed, walking up the stairs and sitting on the edge of one of the beds. She set the yari off to the side and let her head fall into her open hands. The tears she shed were silent ones, as if there was no emotion to provoke them. But quite the contrary, there was rage, sadness, and despair backing them ten strong.  
She didn't understand why she had to be here, there was just no sense in the Fayth's plan. Damn them, those sadistic puppet masters; this is their fault, their fault you can't return home and probably never will. Curse them, she thought; curse them and let them drown in your tears. 


	5. Chapter 5

"The Jade Mask"  
Chapter Five  
Cure for the Cure  
  
Andrea never knew she would find such a valuable friend in Rikku. After the by now uncountable conversations they had shared on the deck over the passed few months it had only just dawned on her. She began to see her as the little sister she had always wanted, in a sense deep down at least. She knew very well that without her she would've long since lost her mind in this crazy new universe.  
She was in fact most grateful for her attempts to cheer her up; lord knows she could use a pick-me-up. Andrea explained why she had been so down, as Rikku had noticed; letting her thoughts and feelings just sort of fall out of her mouth without thought of negative consequence. Rikku tried her best to comfort her, giving her slight ease.  
"So, what you're saying is that the Fayth brought you here to keep an eye on Yunie; I thought that was my job?"  
"I suppose they thought you could use a hand; I really don't understand it fully myself. All I'm really certain about is that I can forget going home any time soon."  
"Hey, don't give up; you never know what's going to happen, lighten up,"  
"Easier said than done, I'm afraid." She sighed then paused a moment...she wanted desperately to discuss something important with Rikku, but wasn't sure as to how she should approach such a tender subject.  
"Something on your mind?" Rikku asked, her head cocked to one side with a curious expression.  
"Well...yeah, but I can't really find words," and she stopped right there, her tongue tied in a knot with uncertainty and nerves. In seconds she found herself stuttering.  
"Okay-okay-okay, stop before you hurt yourself; should I try and guess?"  
"N-no, I can do it...it's just difficult. Have...you ever known Yuna to have any...problems? Like drinking?"  
Rikku just blinked a time or two and looked at her in confusion and shock.  
"W-well, not really...except there was this one time," then she trailed off.  
"Tell me about it, please," Andrea was almost begging.  
"Um, well, to put it gently; let's just say she went from zero to naked in six-point-two drinks."  
"Oh...my; what brought this about?"  
"It was at least a year or so ago...maybe longer. It wasn't long after he left though, that much I'm certain of."  
"I see; so she only does it when she's really depressed?"  
"I guess so, I don't know really; why, have you seen her drinking again?!" She sounded worried suddenly.  
"N-no, no," she fibbed. In all honesty she didn't want to worry her. "I was just curious; I guess I thought I'd ask, maybe make my job a little easier-more clear than what the Slave Drivers told me."  
"I can imagine...it's like being a Guardian all over again, I'm telling you. Argh, Fayth suck!" she growled.  
"Honestly, you're taking this harder than I am!"  
"Well, I've had to put up with their little power struggles before, and I hate it! They make innocent people so _damn_ miserable!"  
Andrea looked at her with shock. "Do my ears deceive me; did you just swear?"  
"...I did...whoa," she blinked. "That actually felt...exciting!"  
"Well, don't make it a habit; not to be rude but it makes you look stupid when you say that."  
"Really? Hmmm, I'll have to take your word on that. Well, I'm gonna shakey-shake myself down to see if I can keep Brother from hitting on Yunie some more, wanna come?"  
"Nah; I have enough on my plate as it is, you go ahead."  
----------  
Andrea lay awake for several hours that night, her mind wondering off. She tried to keep herself from thinking about the Fayth as much as possible, knowing it made her frustrated and that much more awake. She just wanted to pop that little hooded freak's head like a zit, she was so incredibly angry. Or shove that damned crest down his throat.  
If she wasn't fuming over the Fayth, she was uneasy about her feelings towards Yuna's apparent problem. How was she supposed to fix _that_? What influence does she have to change someone on such a drastic level? She could be a Grand Master of the Art and still fail this task she had been given. She honestly had no idea what to do.  
When she was certain she wasn't going to sleep, she quietly got out of bed-Paine and Yuna actually having managed to doze off-and took the elevator to the bridge. Maybe someone was awake and she could chew the fat with them until she was tired enough. As luck would have it the bridge was just as quiet as the cabin, with the exception of idle snoring and a few monitors chiming. Shinra was awake however; Andrea thought it better than nothing.  
"What are you up to, short-round?" she asked quietly.  
"Nothing much; I'm surprised you're still awake,"  
"Well, you know how it is; got the Fayth hounding you like the IRS and sleep will undoubtedly become a thing of the past."  
"The IRS?"  
"Oh yeah, forgot where I am; forget I said anything."  
"If you insist; oh, in case you were wondering, I've heard about the tokens you've been picking up from the temples,"  
"Yeah, what about them?"  
"I've been doing some research and I think I've found away to transfer the Farplane essence in the items and link them directly to your psyche,"  
"I thought we talked about this before; pretend I'm blonde when you explain things to me."  
"In other words," he shrugged. "The Farplane consciousness from the items would be transfer into your body and you could call on them at will without being in contact with the crests."  
"Sounds dangerous...as well as permanent,"  
"Well, there is a way to return the soul energy back to the appropriate crest, so there's nothing to really worry about when it comes to removing them from your psyche. However, it is actually dangerous; when called upon some of the spirits may take over your consciousness and maybe even manifest themselves by using your body."  
"So basically; should I call on one of them, they can do whatever they want with me?"  
"Pretty much, it's almost as if you had a split personality disorder or something similar. I only suggest this because I thought it would be more effective for your task...Rikku told me the whole thing and asked me if I could help you."  
"I see...so what do I have to do?"  
"I could do it right now if you want to; I can't guarantee it isn't going to hurt, though. In fact, you may be unconscious for several hours while your subconscious adjusts to the presence of the Farplane entities."  
Andrea thought hard about this. It may very well help her in her task for the Fayth, but was she willing to sacrifice her free will? They'd already taken her freedom and her right of passage back to her world. On second thought, maybe they'd ease up on her if she gave a little instead of letting them take it...oh well, why the hell not,  
"It's not like I couldn't use a few hours out of order...let's do it,"  
Andrea returned to the cabin for only a few seconds to grab the crests she had allotted so far. She intentionally left Yojimbo's mask behind, quite sure she didn't want that fruit cake trouncing around in her head. She'd sooner welcome a naked mariachi band before she would open her mind to the samurai.  
She returned to the bridge with the tokens in hand and forked them over to the little Al Bhed to work his magic. Within a minute of returning, Shinra had her and the crests connected to the monitor by a few live wires.  
"You may want to have a seat...lying down would be better; this may turn out to be really rough."  
"You sure you can do this right, Shinra?"  
"Of course I'm sure; it's far more simple than some theories I've come up with...child's play at the most."  
"So," she asked, settling herself on her back on the cold steel floor. "What kind of sensations are we looking at here?"  
"Not exactly sure," he replied, rapidly punching in a sequence on his keyboard. "You'll certainly feel the entrance of each individual entity, maybe a certain trait about them-like an elemental property; but the most pain you may experience is the sudden convulsions that are bound to occur while your psyche adjusts."  
"Convulsions?"  
"Muscles developing sudden hypertension episodes; it shouldn't last but a few minutes, after that you're most likely to be unconscious."  
"And if I'm not,"  
"Then you have my pity,"  
_"Oh, that's comforting...midget bastard,"_  
"So, you ready?"  
"I guess as ready as I'll ever be...let'er rip,"  
Andrea took a deep breath and shut her eyes as Shinra hit a few random keys and then entered the command into the monitor.  
At first she felt nothing, but the tension she was told about was mounting slowly. Her breath became labored, little by little, and her body began shaking, the tension growing. She felt a dull burning where Shinra had her connected, at the temples and the nape of the neck, like a piece of metal growing hotter and hotter over an open flame. Her hands involuntarily clenched into tight fists and she bit against the now livid pain in her head and neck.  
She could feel them, all of the Aeons she had faced up until now, she could feel them forcing themselves through and into her mind, deep down into her consciousness. She felt their power; Ixion's lightning, the burn of Ifrit's inferno and how it spread though her whole body and soul, Bahamut's arrogant nature coming into great conflict so suddenly with her own personality, and the surprising tenderness of Valefor's presence, putting into balance the chaos with the tranquility it brought. It dulled the pain, but only just, it was already at an unbearable point.  
Andrea couldn't hear herself growling in pain over the sudden, deafening roaring that had erupted in her ears as she was barely aware of anything going on around her. Like Shinra said, her psyche was trying to adjust and hopefully she would be out shortly. The hypertension had at last reared its ugly head and caused her muscles to cramp and lock into place. She felt the pain lessening, her senses growing dull, and then unconsciousness graciously settled it.  
----------  
_"Who are you...why do you look so much like him,"_  
Yuna felt the hot tears as they rolled down her cheeks, like they had so many times before whenever her mind dwelled on him. Why must her feelings be so carelessly be played with time and time again as she reached one dead end after another in her search? She didn't understand why she had to suffer.  
It hadn't taken long, but after her accidental visit to the Farplane Glen, after her encounter with the one called Shuyin, after being called Lenne, she had fallen into the deepest depression since...since she couldn't even remember. She didn't know where to go, who to turn to...no one understood, why should they? There was only one way she knew how to stop this pain, this ever tormenting sensation of her heart crumbling into serrated glass shards that would tear her open from the inside; the burning in her throat from guzzling the nearest drop of alcohol dulled the agony, reined the anguish to where she could stand herself enough to live another second longer. Yes, this saved her from death...for now at least.  
----------  
_"You let us in...why the sudden change of heart?"_  
_"My heart hasn't changed...I still hate you. I only let you in so I could do what you asked of me...so I could go home."  
"I see...it was the best decision, you know that,"  
"So say you; from where I'm standing it was my only choice. The better I do my job, the greater are my chances of getting back...or am I wrong?"  
"........."  
"I'm wrong? Answer me, damn it! ANSWER ME!"  
_ They answered her with silence.  
----------  
Andrea was dreaming, she knew it. The diffusion of her surroundings, the slight feeling of numbness, it all lead to that one conclusion. She found herself still in the Celsius cabin, still in bed. She carefully got up, slowly as not to dizzy herself, as if it were possible in a dream. She looked around, finding herself alone, and leaving the cabin. She took the elevator, not exactly knowing what destination she had requested.  
The doors opened and wind rushed in from the outside...she was on the deck above the bridge. She felt the cold wind push against her, and she had to shield her eyes from the stunning light of a full, brilliant moon above her.  
Andrea looked straight ahead, seeing a blurred shadow standing at the very edge of the ship's head. She began advancing, the figure not distinguishing or becoming any clearer as she closed the distance between them. Just as she came within two arm lengths she froze; just stopped right there and stood stationary. Then the shadow turned around, the light of the dream moon chasing away the concealment.  
Andrea stood motionless as the High Summoner stared back at her, pain and tears in her eyes. Andrea wanted so much to speak, to say or do something that might end her suffering, despite what little she really knew of her torment.  
She couldn't move a thread of herself as the High Summoner took one of her own pistols and held it to her temple, suddenly pulling the trigger without second thought. The shot rang out, echoed in slow, resounding tones. Andrea watched it happen, as if it were set in slow motion. Her finger crushing the trigger in angry surrender, the sudden flash of the combustion within the barrel, the quick flinch of pain on Yuna's face; it was the easiest of this for her to see. Then she watched the round leave the chamber, a red ocean of blood erupting as the charge destroyed her. She watched in a statue like manner as Yuna died in front of her, a crimson spray staining the deck as the round passed through and she fell lifeless onto it.  
At last her body moved, her eyes widening in shock...some of the blood had gotten on her. She looked at the red flecks on her clothes then down to Yuna's body. Andrea then turned, freezing again as she saw Bahamut, not the Fayth but the Aeon, blocking her path, his amber eyes bearing down on her.  
_"Stop her...save her,"_ his voice was deep and distant, but it reached her, forcing her to wake.  
----------  
Andrea woke, shaking, gasping for air with sweat rolling down her face and neck. She looked around, visions of the dream fresh in her mind still. She looked to her left, seeing Paine sound asleep; then to her right, Yuna's bed was empty, but both pistols were sitting on the nightstand, unloaded.  
Still, she was urged by Bahamut's lingering voice to find the High Summoner, and now if not sooner. She scrambled out of bed, leaping clear over the rails of the second floor and loudly onto one of the tables below. She stumbled on the landing, falling off of the table and tipping it over. Surely someone woke from the commotion, but that wasn't her concern at the moment. She dashed for the elevator and headed straight for the deck, taking her instinct's suggestion created from the horrible nightmare. She arrived, the doors opening to allow access to an onslaught of forceful winds. Andrea hurried off the elevator and onto the deck, looking straight out to find none other than Yuna standing at the edge like in her vision.  
"Yuna, what are you doing out here?!" She called frantically.  
"Leave me alone," was her only reply. It was slightly slurred and sounding somewhat unconsciously spoken, Andrea knew then that Yuna wasn't exactly all together.  
"Yuna, please...come away from the edge...we can talk about this,"  
"What the hell is there to talk about?!" she snapped, turning clumsily on one foot in attempts to face her. "There's nothing to fucking talk about!"  
Andrea was rendered pretty much speechless by Yuna's colorful choice of words. But she hadn't the time for shock and dismay; this could mean her chances of getting home.  
"Yuna...I can understand you're in pain, I've been where you are...this isn't the way to fix it."  
"What am I supposed to do?!"  
"Let me help you, Yuna, that's why I'm here; please...just come with me,"  
"No," she shook her head furiously. "No matter what you say, you can't bring him back,"  
"You're right I can't; but neither will you if you keep doing this to yourself,"  
"Shut up!" she cried, throwing an empty bottle that just barely missed Andrea by fractions of an inch. "I don't want to hear that shit anymore!" she then turned away from Andrea, having calmed down a little, and took an advancing step closer to the deck's edge.  
"Yuna...Yuna I know what you're thinking...don't do it!"  
"Why not? What the hell does it matter...I'll be with him again won't I? I won't have to suffer anymore...won't have to sacrifice,"  
"Yuna, please, don't jump,"  
"I...I don't care anymore," she placed one foot ahead of her and stepped forward, walking into the open emptiness of the dark night sky.  
Andrea's reflexes went into overdrive and she made a desperate dive for the edge. She reached as far as she could, her hand just able to latch onto her ankle.  
Yuna's weight, though rather light, dragged Andrea across the surface of the hull and nearly over the edge. Unable to sacrifice an arm to reach out, Andrea locked her legs around the Celsius' unusually large hood ornament. She could stay this way until help arrived, but they'd have to be quick.  
Andrea managed to catch a glimpse of the thousands of feet between the airship and the ground and it almost instantly made her want to be sick. Her vision blurred for a split second, making her grip on both ends slacken for just as long. She fell only an inch or so further, but it might as well have been a few more feet; she was just as panicked.  
With a sudden idea Andrea pressed her chin hard against the inside of her collar, activating the small microphone to where she could send a message.  
"Anybody copy?! I'm on the deck and in deep shit; a little help would be nice, and hurry it up would ya!"  
By now she was hanging on by her toes, pulling under the strain of their combined weight to keep from letting go. Her hands were sweating, her grip becoming slicker with each second that seemed to last an eternity. Andrea gave a last ditch effort, pulling upward on Yuna's ankle, trying to shift the weight, but it was futile. The force she used to pull up the High Summoner caused more strain on her hold behind her, and it came away, the pair of them plummeting over the edge.  
True, she was falling dozens of feet per second, and she was scared out of her mind, but it didn't keep her from sticking to her task. After the initial shock of realization, she forced herself to calm down enough to focus. Being heavier, she fell faster, and was able to catch up with Yuna as she shot through the misty clouds during her suicidal descent.  
As she passed, Andrea grabbed her and locked a secure arm around her waist. Okay, now that part was done...what now?!  
_"Save her...call us,"  
_ She heard the Dragon's voice as all other sounds faded into silence. It echoed in her mind clearly, making a sudden fire, a sudden drive spark to life inside of her.  
_ "I will...only for her sake,"_  
She could have sworn her heart stopped at that second; all of her bodily functions simply ceased that very moment. She felt her stomach tie into a tight knot then her breath flush out of her lungs; the physical agony of being torn apart limb from limb came like a shot in the dark. She could feel her blood boiling as the Fayth took her over, forcing her own consciousness to fade into the darker recesses of her own mind. The arrogance and rebellion of the Dragon's spirit dispelled her, leaving her in shadows of a coma-like state.  
After what only seemed like fractions of a second, she was aware again. It was as if she had just resurfaced after nearly drowning, gasping for air and disoriented. She was back on the deck of the airship. Sweat beaded all over her now pallid face, her muscles trembling and weak and her heart running a mile a minute. She collapsed to her knees, finally noticing Yuna lying on the hull beside her.  
"What in the hell just happened?"  
Andrea jerked her head up and saw Paine, Rikku, and the rest of the crew standing there, gawking. She tried to explain it to them, but the words just wouldn't come.  
----------  
Once coherent enough, Andrea explained fully what happened that night on the deck when she sent the distress signal. The crew was certainly shocked as to how Yuna became suicidal in the first place, but it was something they had no choice but to come to grips with.  
"Never would have expected it, not from Yuna anyway," Paine said to herself out loud, shaking her head.  
"Whether we expected it or not, it happened, and we have to do something about it." Andrea said sternly. "I know that helping her get through this is my job, but I can't do it on my own; I'm going to need help."  
"What can _we _do? I mean, you're in tune with the Fayth; why would you need our help?"  
"The Fayth have nothing to do with this, and without them I'm still just human. It's going to take a lot more than just me to pull her through this; she's going to need as much help as we can offer, family most of all." She explained, looking to Rikku. The Al Bhed looked ready to bite her fingers off-her nerves were so high strung. "This could very well be one of the most difficult missions we undertake, but it has to be done."  
----------  
Andrea waited patiently for Yuna to wake. She had the courage now to confront her with this; if she didn't do it now, she'd never do it. As she waited for her chance, her mind wandered back to that night, to when she called the Aeon while she fell for the earth.  
_"He took you over, you remember that much at least. I suppose he's so close to human that he won't separate from you to manifest. Surely there will be more than one, but that...that was incredible. The rush was like nothing else, almost like a drug."  
_ She shivered at the thought of possibly learning to like the feeling of being possessed. She shook her head hard, trying to chase the notion away.  
_"And the Samurai...what of Yojimbo; your will is strong enough to resist his tempting, so what do you do? You could always just wear the mask and leave his essence inside of it until you understand his nature better. No, best just leave it there for good, but scarcely using it to your advantage might work. Well, best to just take care of the things at hand first then worry about the Aeons."  
_ "Why did you stop me?"  
Andrea looked up from where she sat to sound of the High Summoner's voice, but didn't look at her.  
"I saw little sense in you killing yourself; plus, you really weren't yourself that night."  
"What makes you say that?" she asked, sitting up in bed.  
"To be frank you were pretty much plastered silly, enough to throw the bottle at me anyway; might I also add that you took full advantage of a wide array of colorful language?"  
"I did?" she looked away embarrassed, her cheeks turning red with shame.  
"No joke; you mean you don't remember?"  
"Not really...it's all in bits and pieces, flashes. I thought it was all a dream when I saw Bahamut, but I was obviously wrong,"  
"Unfortunately so; when you fell through to the Farplane at Djose I went in after you and met with the Fayth in the glen. They told me that I had been brought here to look after you. I know that sounds really silly, but it's the God given truth. I now can call on the Aeons, so your seeing Bahamut was no dream, it was me having called him."  
The High Summoner just looked at her in disbelief. Andrea didn't know what to say in response to the expression, so she simply said nothing. After several silent moments, she dropped the subject completely and started another one.  
"That isn't the point though; the point is that you have a problem, and we need to discuss on how to fix it."  
"Hmph, what does it matter to you what I do?"  
"It does matter because the Fayth have given me the task of looking after you. I know what's wrong with you, but I can't help unless you let me. If you can't stop this then I'll never make it home. Yes, if I fail to do what the Fayth ask of me, I'm stuck here for good. But that's not my only reason; it also matters to me because you're my friend."  
Finally Andrea brought herself to look at her and hold her glance. Yuna kept her eyes towards the floor. When she figured Yuna wasn't going to speak about it anymore, she got up from her seat and started to leave.  
"I'll leave you alone to think about it." She said over her shoulder. She paused for a moment at the stairs and half turned back. "Your team needs you, you know...Ri-Ri would be lost without you too; but you make your own decision. You know what's right,"  
----------  
"What happened to you up there that night?" Rikku asked, sitting in her usual spot on deck by Andrea. "I mean, you looked ready to drop dead, like you'd just run from one end of Spira to the other in the past five minutes."  
"I certainly felt like it, my God the strain was incredible."  
"What did you do?"  
"Well, when Yuna decided to take a dive, I kind of fell after her and had to call an Aeon to save us; the Aeon just manifested itself using my body," she explained, as if the transformation was a casual thing.  
"You mean you actually became the Aeon?!"  
"More or less, yeah,"  
"What was that like?"  
"Painful if anything; like being turned inside out and bashed over the head with a blunt object. It was really strange; I blacked out for what felt like only a few seconds then I was back on the deck when I must've come to."  
"That's just down right creepy; makes me glad I'm not you,"  
"Yeah, me too; no one should have to go through that, but it's my job." She shrugged.  
"Good grief, woman; all you ever talk about is your job! It's like you're married to it or something!"  
"What else am I supposed to do? Surely you're not suggesting I have a boyfriend or some significant other of that nature?"  
"Duh, of course that's what you're supposed to do! No one can just live to work; everyone's got to have a little time to kick back!"  
"Well then where's your Mr. Wonderful, huh?"  
Rikku stuttered a little bit as all her readied responses tried to come out at once.  
"I...I-I have no idea what you're talking about!"  
"You should practice what you preach, Ri-Ri; but in all honesty...what's he like?"  
The Al Bhed at first refused to say a word, but that was before she got a glazed over, dreamy look in her eyes. Once that sort of warm, fuzzy feeling settled in, nothing could really hold her back from telling Andrea everything about this young man she fancied.  
"I knew there was something between you two, I could tell by the way he spoke to you during that ridiculous excuse for an interview...I guess that explains you getting us lost in Bikanel Desert,"  
"Hey, not funny!" her cheeks turned red at the slam.  
"I had to pay you back for that sunburn somehow, don't take it personally. So what's going on with you two, why aren't you even speaking?"  
"Well, we've just sort of...grown apart I guess; you know how long distance relationships are,"  
"I do?"  
"Just nod your head and agree with me; but we just haven't had time for one another these days."  
"If you would like my advice, you should make time; if it's something that important you should try everything you can not to lose it."  
"Hmmm, you do have a point. That's it,"  
"What's it?"  
"I'm going to Djose to talk to him,"  
"Good for you, have fun,"  
"And you're coming with me!" She finished, grabbing Andrea by the wrist and attempting to drag her along. She wouldn't budge an inch in any way.  
"Why should I come along? You're a big girl, you can handle it,"  
"Maybe we'll find someone for you while we're there! Let ole' Ri-Ri the Love Doctor help you snag that special someone!"  
"Let's not and say we didn't; in all honesty I don't want to get attatched to anything here. Should I ever find a way home I don't want to leave any regrets behind. Having to someday leave you guys is hard enough as it is."  
"Awww, don't talk like that; heaven forbid you should have any fun!"  
"Well, now isn't the greatest time to be having fun; you know that just as well as I do."  
"I guess you're right," she sighed, sitting back down in a slump. "Gippal can wait for now then," 


	6. Chapter 6

"The Jade Mask"  
Chapter Six  
Let the Healing Begin  
  
Yuna was sleeping hard, like a fucking rock. Nothing could possibly shake her from this comatose state, no matter what. This wasn't exactly a bad thing though, was she awake she would be feeling the horrible aftershocks of her binge. Yes, sensitive eyesight, nausea, and a splitting headache were only simple overtures to the hangover in waiting.  
It was perhaps just an hour before sunup; the sky was still gray with lingering night. Andrea knew well how early it was, but it wasn't her concern at the moment. To her the time was perfect.  
Andrea's excitement kept her awake most of last night. Before yesterday's end, Yuna had agreed to receive help in kicking the wretched habit; Andrea made it her personal responsibility to see that she did just that. Today would begin the High Summoner's long, difficult journey to sobriety.  
Andrea almost hated having to wake Yuna, seeing her sleeping so hard, but she hadn't any other choice, not if she wanted this to work. Reluctantly she leaned down and shook Yuna by the shoulder. It took a minute or two but she eventually came around, groaning miserably at her surfacing sickness. Andrea gave her time to get over the initial nausea, but once able she had Brother take them to Mi'ihen Highroad and drop them off.  
"What are we doing here?" She yawned.  
"By drinking, you've been putting nothing but poisons into your body. The only way we're going to get rid of them is by working them out of you. Don't worry I'll be with you the whole way."  
The two of them exchanged a quick glance before Andrea took off, jogging down the highroad. Yuna hesitated at first, but eventually followed, figuring it was just a part of the routine. She wanted to kick the habit, and she was willing to work for it, but couldn't she stop being nauseous first?  
Non stop, the two of them ran the whole length of the highroad, even beneath the bridges to the dead end and back again. They at last finished the run at the gate leading to Mushroom Rock Road, and by then Yuna was ready to drop. She managed to go the whole run without stopping, but at this point she was beginning to regret that decision. Her face was red and sweat literally rolled down her cheeks. Her throat was tight and she had trouble catching her breath; she felt like throwing up again like she had this morning.  
"You should be proud of yourself; you did really well for the first time," Andrea panted encouragingly, sitting down on the soft grass on the side of the highroad.  
"I feel awful," she groaned; she could feel her stomach churning.  
"You'll feel worse before this is over, trust me; this is only the beginning. But once the toxins are out of your system it won't be so bad."  
"That's a comforting thought."  
"Once we get back on the Celsius we'll talk more about what's ahead of you; until then...tell me about what started all this in the first place."  
Yuna was hesitant, almost ashamed of being asked. This was supposed to be her dirty little secret, it wasn't meant to be shared with anyone.  
"It was just the depression really," she said simply, "I guess I just couldn't handle it."  
"Yuna, it's not that you didn't handle it. You did handle it, just in your own way. Everyone has their own way of dealing with things; you simply did it by drinking. Everyone needs to escape unwelcome feelings one way or another,"  
"You make things sound so simple,"  
"I know, but there not nearly as simple as they sound. Habits are habits, be they good or bad, and neither are easy to break or change. But to look at things from a more positive perspective, at least you don't have to do it alone. We're all here to help you through this."  
Yuna only shook her head and sighed, seeming as if she had just given up on herself. Andrea pretended not to notice, the expression having touched her rather painfully.  
"So...how long have you been doing it?"  
"Nearly two years; it was never this bad though. It sort of progressed in stages; at first I only drank when I was sad, but then a craving would just hit me and I had to do it. Now it's like my mind is on a clock; nearly the same time everyday for the past few weeks I'd drink-a little or a lot it didn't matter. I just had to have it."  
Andrea felt her heart sink as she nodded and began to think. This really was going to be a serious pain in the ass. If the addiction is already this bad, dropping this would cause Yuna much more pain than she had originally thought. All of them were in for one hell of a ride.  
"So, say I do manage to quit; what's going to keep me from picking it up all over again?"  
"That's all a part of the process; we need to find another way for you to cope with your depression." The reply was quick, almost as if she was anticipating the question since they had started.  
"What should I do?"  
"Well, instead of covering up your sadness, you could drop it completely by doing something you enjoy, something that makes you happy. However, even after you find this alternative, your cravings are still going to hit you; when they do, let me know and we'll work on it from there."  
Yuna thought for a moment. A happy alternative to drinking; hmmm, when was the last time you were actually _happy_; actually enjoying yourself? She couldn't even remember that far back. She hadn't been really joyful since he left that day two years ago. No, joy had failed to touch her heart since then.  
"Perhaps I could teach you some of the Art along with Rikku; or she could teach you, if you'd feel more comfortable,"  
"Can I think about it first?"  
"Sure, not like I'm trying to rush you, far from it; this is something that you have to take slowly, or it won't last."  
Andrea knew Yuna had a lot on her mind right now, she could read her rather well, plus the look on her face showed it so plainly that even Ray Charles could tell she was in deep thought. She took this time call back Brother to pick them up.  
----------  
"So how did it go?" Rikku asked, sounding rather hopeful.  
"Surprisingly well; I was impressed. However the addiction is deep, the withdrawal symptoms are going to be hellish."  
"Care to explain?"  
"In other words, sooner or later her body's going to realize its not getting any alcohol anymore which up until now it had been dependant on to function properly. Once it makes the connection, Yuna's going to become sicker than ever before. Fortunately it doesn't last very long."  
"How long could it go?"  
"The longest I've known the symptoms to last is a week or so, but hopefully we can shave a few days off by working out the toxins she's been putting in herself."  
"So when could this start?" She was beginning to sound worried.  
"Any day now, maybe even tomorrow; it all depends on how intense her cravings are-it could even start tonight. Let's just hope it doesn't though,"  
Andrea glanced at Rikku and was shocked at how she was literally sweating bullets about all this. Sure, she could understand with Yuna being family and all, but damn woman, cool your jets!  
"I feel so helpless!" She whined in her squeaky, high pitched whimpering-voice.  
"I know you do; I do too,"  
"Why should you feel that way?!"  
"Just because I'm showing her how to kick the habit, doesn't mean I can stop the suffering that comes with it. I can't stand seeing my friends in pain; it's like being stabbed in the heart with a bent spoon,"  
Rikku just gave her a god-awful look of confusion, failing to see how painful that could be when a bent spoon wouldn't even penetrate a paper bag.  
"Just nod your head and agree with me,"  
----------  
Rikku was up unusually early the next morning. Normally she would sleep until after noon at least before debating whether or not to get up at all. Something made her get up at a decent hour today, some gut feeling she couldn't ignore.  
_"Blech...morning; I need...caffeine."  
_ She didn't remember ever falling asleep at her station on the bridge, but apparently she had spent the night there. She stiffly got out of the chair and eventually found her way to the cabin. The door opened and she could already smell something being made behind the counter in the kitchen. It was a think, mint scent that stifled her a little when she first inhaled. Through slightly watering eyes, Rikku saw Yuna sitting alone at the table nearest the staircase and somewhat skipped across the floor to join her.  
"Yuna," she gasped. "You look awful!" The High Summoner laughed a little at the comment.  
She did indeed look in a very bad way. Her face was quite pale, dark circles hung beneath her tired eyes, her hair was disheveled, and she looked ready to hurl on deck at any second, her hands shaking unsteadily.  
"Didn't sleep last night," Yuna said, stifling a yawn. "Craving hit,"  
"And you let it go all night?!"  
She nodded.  
"I told her to wake me if she had to," Andrea's voice came from behind the counter. "But she refused to do it; however you should be proud of her, she only threw up once,"  
"Eeeeeeew-gagalicious; too much info!"  
Andrea came back into sight and out from behind the bar laughing while carrying a steaming mug in her hand. She set it down in front of Yuna then leaving, figuring that the two of them would want to talk in private.  
"Hey, what is that?" Rikku asked. The liquid in the mud was a dark, almost solid green color. It didn't look at all tempting.  
"It's tea, it'll help; I know it tastes terrible, but it works wonders. Hold your nose if it makes you sicker. Just don't throw it up, please," then she left with no further words.  
They sat in silence for a long while, Yuna at last taking the first sip and cringing at the bitter, potent taste. It didn't make her sicker, in fact it somewhat soothed her rattled nerves, but the aftertaste sucked serious wind.  
Rikku sat there, twiddling her thumbs, not saying a word despite how much she wanted to. She was really hesitant to say anything about her situation, mostly out of respect; but her curiosity was biting her in the ass.  
"Yuna,"  
"Hmmm?"  
"Why didn't you ever tell me?"  
She thought for a second before taking a large gulp of the tea as a prelude to her response.  
"Didn't want you to worry I guess...maybe I was just too ashamed to admit I even had a problem." She said solemnly. "Perhaps, maybe even deep down...I didn't want to stop...I didn't want help."  
"You know you can tell me anything; I get worried when you _don't_ tell me when something is bothering you! This is serious; this could _kill_ you!"  
"I know,"  
"Th-then," she stammered, getting caught up in her emotions. "Then why?!"  
"Because I didn't care whether or not I was alive. It just didn't matter to me anymore. I thought...maybe it would," and she stopped there.  
"I know what you're going to say," Rikku confessed. She did know; Yuna thought her death would allow her to see _him_ again on the Farplane. She couldn't relate to Yuna's feelings, but she could understand. Loss hurts; it hurts a great deal especially when it's the loss of a loved one.  
"Well, I guess I'll leave you alone; try and get some rest would you?"  
Yuna nodded as Rikku left, apparently having forgotten her need for the pick-me-up which she had originally gone there for.  
  
From there, Rikku hunted Andrea down, finding her in the usual place on the deck. The sky was becoming gray with storm clouds, but it wasn't quite raining yet. However, by the looks of things it was going to be one hell of a storm when it finally did hit. They might even have to land the Celsius until it passed. The Al Bhed watched as the Artist finished a series of techniques before speaking. She waited longer than the actual motions took to perform, but she hadn't been taught the hard-form yet and didn't know how many moves it consisted of.  
"Hey, Ri-Ri; didn't see you come out,"  
"What can I say, I'm sneaky. Something on your mind?" She asked, genuinely concerned by the brooding look on Andrea's face.  
"Oh, nothing really; just thinking that's all. Kind of worried actually,"  
"Worried; what for?"  
"I didn't expect Yuna to go so long with a craving; I didn't plan for that."  
"Oh my God; _you_ didn't plan?! Alert the media!"  
"No, Ri-Ri, I'm being rather serious; to put it this way, she just- like-skipped six steps in a twelve step program. Although this does cut her recovery time in half, the withdrawal will start sooner and it's going to hit harder. Hopefully she drank all of the tea, it should ease the symptoms." She said this in quick succession, making her explanation a little hard to follow. "Once she falls asleep tonight, she probably won't be out of bed until it passes; we should expect it to start tonight at the earliest."  
"Is there anything we can do until then?"  
"All we can do for now is wait,"  
----------  
The symptoms didn't hit that night, although the great thunderstorm did. A bolt hit one of the main engines and the Celsius was grounded for several hours. The storm was finally over the next night and they could resume traveling. The withdrawal stayed away that evening also. The Gullwings were beginning to feel that great luck was on their side with this.  
Yuna appeared to have been in such good health that with the help of Tobli-duck billed little freak-they held a concert on the Thunder Plains. The performance was nothing short of spectacular, along with the aid of Shinra's invention showing the passed events of a thousand years ago. That certainly shed some light on the situation concerning Lenne and Shuyin. However, when she stopped singing, Yuna collapsed and the concert was over. Back inside the Celsius she broke into tears, and this was when Andrea knew it would begin tonight. Her body would be exhausted now, unable to keep the inevitable sickness at bay any longer. Yes, now was at last the time; the tallest hurdle.  
----------  
Yuna was up and about for a few hours, seemingly fine, just a little tired. Andrea remained in sight, watching closely as her condition rather quickly changed. Once she noticed the Summoner getting dizzy, then nauseous, she immediately helped her to bed. Within minutes she started sweating heavily, and an intense fever struck just as quickly.  
"Ugh, my head feels like it's going to split in half," she groaned, sitting on the bed's edge.  
"I wish I could give you something for the pain, but we can't risk making it worse; just try and sleep, that would be best," Andrea shrugged, feeling helpless. She had managed to give Yuna another mug full of that green tea before her sickness became too bad, and she knew it would help her along. This was going to be a very rough night for all of them, especially Yuna.  
The night seemed to drag on forever, with little improvement of the Summoner's condition; in fact it only seemed to worsen. Fortunately she was able to fall asleep before it became too serious, at least she wouldn't feel it. Andrea was awake the entire night, keeping a close watch. She listened with inward pain at Yuna's incoherent, feverish sleep talk, only able to imagine what she could be dreaming through the sick haze.  
At about an hour or two before sunrise, Yuna's symptoms seemed to calm slightly. At least the fever dreams had disappeared for the time being. She took this less chaotic moment to get some air, take a short walk before coming back to continue her watch. She wasn't exactly sure why, but her first impulse was to go to the bridge, and that was where she chose to go, listening to her impulses.  
The bridge was quiet, the remainder of the crew still fast asleep. Andrea quietly crept across to the front, looking out the vast opening of the airship's front, off into the still dark horizon. She looked to the side and saw Rikku asleep in the small chair at her station, a blanket tangled about and barely covering her as she was sprawled across the small space. She didn't look at all comfortable, but by the shimmering stream of drool she could see on the side of her mouth, she was obviously dead to the world. Her snoring was loud enough to rattle glass and all but a dead give away to her unconsciousness. Andrea laughed a little, shaking her head.  
_ "It's not fair; she uses that small-ass chair for a bed and sleeps like a damn rock; what the hell am I doing wrong?! I haven't had a decent night's sleep in weeks,"  
_ "You're up awfully early...did you even sleep?"  
Andrea registered the soft spoken comment and turned, seeing an aware Paine sitting on the floor between the two stairwells.  
"Nah, I was on watch," she replied in a slight whisper. "It's not like I can't hack a couple sleepless nights." Andrea watched as the warrior nodded slightly and walked over to lean on the wall beside her.  
"So...how is she doing?"  
"Not so well I'm afraid, but it's a little too soon yet to tell; give it a few more hours."  
"I see...why do you care so much?"  
Andrea looked down at her awkwardly. What kind of a question is that?  
"I guess because it's my job...because she's my friend; she was kind enough to lend me a hand when I was in trouble, this is the least I can do,"  
"Your job...hah, that's a laugh; I never thought you to be one to take orders."  
"I'm willing to do just about anything if it means getting where I'm headed. I'm prepared to go to the ends of the universe if it gets me back home."  
"You certainly are determined, I'll give you that much," she laughed.  
"Ah, call it a curse, what can I say,"  
The two of them remained silent for a while after that last comment, the dull roar of the now repaired engines being the only sound.  
"Why are you the way you are?" Paine asked suddenly.  
Andrea just looked at her awkwardly again; she had a good idea as to what Paine was getting at, but she wasn't certain.  
"I've come to realize that you and I have a lot in common; so what's your excuse?"  
"Why do you want to know; since when did you care?" she replied coldly.  
"People like us, we can talk to each other; we know we don't want sympathy from anyone that's because we give none to begin with,"  
"You have a point; sympathy is quite useless, I agree,"  
"So what's your story?"  
"To put it simply; I never fit in, I was too different."  
"What difference should that make? I thought it was good to be different,"  
"Not where I'm from; difference is dangerous, and that I learned well first hand."  
Paine said nothing, but only nodded her head slowly.  
"I suppose I am the way I am because I didn't want to be like those who punished me. They had no reason to treat me the way they did, and I wanted to be able to tell myself that and believe it was true."  
"I never would've guessed that by the way you act around everyone,"  
"I know; I try my best to hide the fact that I'm not _really_ happy; it's just a blind to how miserable I am for real. I don't want people asking or prying, I just do my best to give others what I can't give myself."  
Again there was silence; Paine sat and thought about Andrea's answer, analyzing it carefully. Now she could understand why she cared so much, she had no other sense of purpose. Friendship and an obligation to her friends was what kept her going, the only thing solid in her life that she could cling to.  
"Well, I think I've said enough; best get back to work," Andrea said absently, stifling a yawn as she ascended the staircase and left the bridge.  
----------  
The morning after that, epilogue to yet another all-nighter, Buddy located more sphere waves, strongly signaling from Bevelle. Upon a further investigation, they discovered a labyrinth beneath the great city; the first instinct was that it was the most likely place for the spheres to be hid.  
Rikku was headed full speed to the cabin; Andrea hadn't answered the call over the intercom. The crew waited for at least ten minutes before she decided to go and get the Black Belt herself. When she arrived she called to her, receiving no answer; the Al Bhed then ascended the hemispherical stairs up into the second floor landing.  
"Hey, Andrea, you deaf or," and she severed her sentence when she saw her sitting on the edge of the bed, her forehead resting on her folded hands that sat on her knees. She carefully advanced, never seeing a single movement from Andrea. When close enough Rikku tapped her on the shoulder, again receiving no reply. Then she just pushed her over, letting her fall limply onto her side.  
"She's dead asleep," she said to herself in surprise.  
After pushing Andrea more securely onto the bed, she quietly called Brother via the communicator to postpone the mission for a few hours. The Gullwings were rather bold if not rash in their strategy, but they were far from stupid. They'd never go for a sphere with anything short of a three member team.  
  
Seven hours passed and into early afternoon, Andrea finally awoke, fully restored and ready for the day. She wanted to hit herself at first for having fallen asleep in the first place, but the warm, fuzzy, cozy feeling she had inside drove that idea away.  
"Finished sawing logs?"  
"Yeah, I suppose I am; man I was so exhausted,"  
"Well," Rikku continued. "Being awake for forty-eight hours straight can do that to you."  
"Thanks for letting me sleep, I really needed a nap. Did I miss anything?"  
"We've picked some sphere waves coming from beneath Bevelle; I came to get you when you didn't answer the call, but you were asleep by then so we decided to wait."  
"Under_neath_ Bevelle; how the hell do you figure?"  
"I dunno, don't ask me; but from what sensors say there're more than one! Just imagine!"  
"I can, but who will stay and look after Yuna? There's still a good chance she could relapse,"  
"Barkeep is here, not to mention Buddy and Bro...let's just not think about that, but you get my point. C'mon, let's go get us some spheres!"  
"I suppose I could...okay, why not; let's roll,"  
----------  
The floors of the Via Infinito, so it was called, seemed to go on and on just as the name implied. The "Way Infinite", roughly translated, and it was nothing short of the truth. The floors, filled with stronger and stronger fiend with every advance, went on into infinity. Every twentieth or so floor, an Unsent would greet them in the relatively small chamber. From there the situation would worsen as the vengeful spirit would mutate into an even greater fiend, greater than those that beset them on the minor floors before them.  
Once vanquished, there was a chance the Unsent would leave something valuable behind. They had managed to obtain two spheres and a few interesting items from the Unsent, but little did it make their trial in the labyrinth easier.  
They continued to venture deeper, score after score of floors.  
"Where do you think we are now?" Rikku panted, looking ready to drop.  
"I'd say the ninety-eighth floor...at most," Paine replied, sounding a bit winded herself.  
"Well, whatever floor we're on, we're not getting anywhere just standing here talking about it,"  
  
Two more floors, relatively empty, was all that barred them from the very end of the labyrinth. As like the other great cloisters previous, an angry Unsent awaited them. It was Trema himself, the Seeker that Maechen spoke of back at Youth League Headquarters that day. My God, if this guy is as old as Maechen inclined he was, there was no telling what sort of power the spirit possessed. The Gullwings had a unanimous feeling of dread spreading through them.  
----------  
A nightmare, a terrible vision played over and over as she dreamed in her feverish sleep. Tossing and turning, calling for the one she needed most though he would never hear her desperate voice begging for him.  
She was dancing, constantly stepping to the painful beat of her own mourning heart. Again she danced, sending souls of the dead to the Farplane, bearing her sadness with them. Tears rolled down her face in hot recession, her feet gracefully stepping through the depressive motions as they plummeted and spilled onto the ground. Yuna wished to stop, to end her dance of death, but her feet would not follow her demand. They continued, on and on with a mind of their own.  
She swore she would never dance again, yet here she was, breaking her own promise. It felt as if an icy spear was being stabbed through her heart, slowly penetrating her deeper with each elegantly executed motion.  
_ I...dance...no...more...  
_ She had assured herself of this so many times for so long, but now she was so uncertain.  
_To dance is to meet destiny. You are destined...you are doomed..._  
_Don't give up, Yuna; don't let them win!  
_ She froze, she stopped dancing the second she heard his voice penetrate the shadow of doubt and despair. From behind she heard him coming, frantic, heavy steps running for her. She turned about, seeing him come into view, reaching out to claim her hand. Yuna ran for him, her arms wide open to accept him. They collided, embracing on impact, holding each other close.  
She looked up into his ocean sapphire eyes, touching his cheek with her hand. He smiled at her, that genuine, warm smile she had long since been deprived of. Yuna longed to kiss him again; in fact she even stood on the tips of her toes in attempts to reach him. But she felt just short of the forgotten rapture as his smile fell, and he looked down at her with regret and sadness.  
Yuna didn't understand why he looked this way. Why, in such a glorious moment, would he hold such a crushed expression? At first she showed confusion and slight sadness, then fear arose and her eyes widened. A great, malignant shadow erupted from nowhere behind him, manifesting into a terrible shape. Amber eyes burned in the darkness, the face coming into atrocious focus. The demon showed its face and Yuna screamed, but by then it was too late.  
Tidus was able to shed a single tear as a clawed arm was thrust forcefully through his chest. Yuna gasped in shock, suddenly feeling herself being pushed back a fraction of a step. Bahamut loomed over Tidus, growling fiercely as he jerked his arm back through the man's body causing him to fall limply to the ground. Yuna watched him fall, just as she had watched him jump two years ago. It was a destructive memory that was always just so close to driving her mad.  
She looked back at the Aeon, who now held a bloody mass in his stained hand. The Dragon stepped forward, holding up his claws in presentation as he roared triumphantly in the Summoner's pale, dumbfounded face. She looked down into his hand, at last realizing that his clawed appendage had gone straight through her long lost love and straight into her chest, the Aeon tearing out her own heart. It pulsed weakly in his crushing grasp and she found herself struggling to breathe.  
After a few moments she collapsed onto the floor, settling on her side. Like the occasion where Lenne's reality meshed with her nightmare, she saw Tidus lying dead on the floor, blood spilling forth from the companion gaping hole in his chest much like her own was.  
Bahamut tossed the now motionless blob of flesh to side, his claws still dripping with crimson liquid. He took a pair of massive, pounding steps, looming over the spiritually castrated Summoner. He bent down, leaning on one knee, opening his gaping maw before roaring once again. Again the Aeons had managed to destroy her, as if doing so in reality wasn't enough.  
This time she screamed with him, but in lament, not in sadistic triumph.  
  
She jerked herself up in bed with great force, gasping for air as reality at last came into realization. Tears rolled form her wide eyes and cold sweat covered her face and neck. Her throat burned and her lungs struggle to catch the breath that seemed to have been long since gone.  
_"My god...only a dream,"  
_ Once calmed a little, she let her head rest in her hands. Why, she thought quietly; why did they have to take you from me? Why did you have to go?  
**"It is so difficult to understand the workings of the Fayth, isn't it?"  
** She pretended not to hear that; dismissed it as some sort of zealous illusion.  
**"He didn't have to go, the Fayth simply stole him...they're nothing but thieves...yes?"  
** She shook her head, trying to chase it from her mind, but she was so tired...so deliciously vulnerable.  
**"I can help you, you know...that is, if you help me in return. Come now, surely you would be willing to do a small favor in return for that which you most cherish? Imagine it; no more suffering, no more sacrifice, and the reunion of you and your love...help me a little, and this can all be yours,"  
** My god, she thought...why resist it? It was so tempting, that voice so seductive. She could do nothing but give in to its offer, ever so willingly into the unseen deceit. 


	7. Chapter 7

"The Jade Mask"  
Chapter Seven  
Prisoners of Woe  
  
It hit her like a two ton brick, crashing into her skull and sending her reeling to the floor. Her spear fell loudly to the floor of the labyrinth as she collapsed onto her knees and held her head in her hands as if in great pain. She could feel Rikku and Paine standing next to her, could just barely make out Rikku speaking, but couldn't hear a word over the sound splitting her head in half. Screaming, roaring, loader and loader, relentlessly piercing her mind like a flaming knife; it was the Fayth.  
The Fayth screamed, not stopping. Her palms became warm as they suddenly covered her ears, warm with streams of blood that began spilling out. Her body became frozen in hypertension and she toppled over onto her side, Rikku staying close, still attempting to reach her.  
"Andrea, what's the matter?!"  
"The Fayth," she stammered forcefully. "S-something's happened,"  
"What's happened?" Paine asked, seeming not to notice her teammate writhing on the floor.  
"I...I don't know; the Fayth won't tell me, they just keep screaming!"  
_"Dammit, shut up and tell me something already!"  
Deceiver, trickster, liar!  
_ The words at last formed, but it was still in a sharp, unpleasant volume.  
_ Cunning Puppeteer! Too late now!  
"Too late...for what?!"  
_ _Too late, too late!!!  
_ At last their voices soon faded; a lamenting wail sounding sharply before silence at last came.  
Andrea was finally able to regain her senses and stood upright again, wiping blood from the sides of her face.  
"What just happened?" Rikku asked, dumbfounded.  
"The Fayth," Andrea began, still a bit shaken. "Said it's too late,"  
"Too late for what?"  
"I...I don't know, but if it's affecting the Fayth, it's something serious."  
"Think it's Vegnagun?" Paine inquired.  
Andrea was about to reveal the depth of her uncertainty when a frantic message came over the small communicators.  
"Code Red; Gullwings report to the Celsius ASAP,"  
Andrea's heart suddenly sank as the hailing registered in her head. With Paine and Rikku in tow, she dashed madly for the exit of the Via Infinito, bursting out of the main doors of the building to leave the city completely.  
"Andrea, slow down, we can't keep up!" Rikku begged from behind. "Brother, have the Celsius pick us up outside Bevelle!" she called into the communicator.  
"Uh...negative! Unable to lift off," he replied hesitantly.  
"Why the hell not, you half-backed nut ball?! You pushed the red button again didn't you, _didn't you_?!"  
"What, I push nothing?!"  
"Forget it,"  
Don't let me be right, Andrea wished violently to herself. Please, God don't let me be right.  
  
Once again aboard the grounded airship, Andrea didn't bother to stop for details but instead hauled ass straight to the cabin. She had to know; she had to be proven wrong.  
The whole compartment was trashed. By the looks of things, something very powerful nearly severed the top half of the cabin off. Now there was a gaping trail of destruction running from the wall above the entrance all the way around to the parallel wall; cut live wires slithered and sparked as they hung from the gaping wound in the steel hull. She paid the damage to the ship little attention as she made her way frantically up the still somewhat intact stairway.  
Once close enough, she hit the floor sliding, coming to a stop halfway hidden beneath the bed she had been using since her arrival. She cursed as she fisted the floor and pushed herself out from beneath the bed. From there she hastily leaped the half destroyed railing down to the lower landing, not hitting a table like she had several weeks prior. A short scan of the debris littering the floor allowed her to find what she was looking for. Her backpack, torn open and gutted lay on the floor. She jerked it up, searching through her belongings nearby, finding out her suspicions were all but false. She just stood there a moment, saying nothing and not moving.  
"Andrea, Yuna's missing!" Rikku's voice was dull to her; she was too far away from reality to hear her well.  
"Andrea...what's the matter...didn't you hear me?"  
Andrea let the now worthless bag slip out of her fingers as she turned slowly to face the Al Bhed. Her eyebrows were furrowed into a fierce scowl, her fists clenched tightly. Then, like a bomb she burst into a sudden rage, roaring angrily as she struck the nearest table, splitting it neatly into two pieces.  
"Son of a bitch!" She swore loudly. She chose several more choice words before slugging the wall, her fist digging a deep indention.  
"He couldn't tempt me...so he took her instead. Man, am I blind,"  
"What are you talking about?!" Rikku asked fearfully, obviously scared shitless from seeing such a lack of control.  
"Yojimbo...his mask was left behind after we banished him and his consciousness stayed as well. He couldn't get me to put it on, allow him access, so he took Yuna instead. Dammit, how could I have been so stupid?!"  
Rikku carefully advanced, cautious of the likelihood of her having another outburst.  
"Andrea," she was trying hard to find the right words to calm her down. "People make mistakes,"  
"And this one may cost me a friend, as well as my way home!" She snapped.  
Rikku shrugged, this was going to be tough.  
"Look, I know you're upset, but you can't let it make you crazy; if you do, things will only get worse. You need to calm down and focus, we can fix this,"  
Andrea took a deep breath and shook her head. Rikku was right, getting angry won't solve a damn thing.  
"So," she began, sounding much more composed. "What should we do?"  
"Well, Buddy keeps us all on Tag; we can go to the bridge and start looking for her Tag signature."  
"That's a good idea, but... I don't think I can,"  
"And why the hell not; don't want Paine to know you threw a tantrum?!"  
"My...my hand is stuck...in the wall." She explained shyly, trying to pull her fist out but unable to do so. Rikku rolled her eyes and shrugged, shaking her head. She grabbed and held tightly to Andrea's other arm and together they pulled. There was a loud popping sound just as her hand was dislodged.  
"Okay, now I think I can,"

"Can't you make this thing work any faster?!" Brother ranted wildly. He looked about ready to yank his hair out of his head his nerves were so incredibly high strung.  
"It only has a limited range, you moron," Shinra griped. "She could easily be out of the perimeter, by mere inches even,"  
Everyone waited anxiously on the bridge, waiting for something- anything to happen. Rikku was chewing relentlessly on her fingernails; there wasn't a second where she was sitting still. Paine was pacing, much to the contrary of her usual reaction to anxiety; but it was in slow laps, so it didn't seem so unusual. Andrea hovered nervously over Shinra's shoulder, keeping an unflinching eye on the screen as the monitor scanned for Yuna's Tag. Inwardly she still wanted to injure herself for being so thick; she should've destroyed that cursed thing long ago, from the start.  
An hour went by and still nothing came of Shinra's search. He had scanned the Calm Lands, the cave in the gorge where the Aeon had been, Mt. Gagazet came up empty as well as Zanarkand, even Bevelle was a hit and miss. After that they checked Macalania and Guadosalam alongside the Thunder Plains, they were vacant also. Many of the other areas were out of range, such as the Moonflow.  
"Hey, try the Commsphere Network; maybe someone has seen her," Buddy suggested. He seemed so calm about the situation, it was easy to tell that Brother wanted to kill him...or slap him at the very least.  
Shinra muttered something as he nodded his head. Andrea watched the screen closely, Rikku and Paine soon coming up close behind her. Rikku was just a little too short to see from behind the two taller women, so she spent half the time jumping up and down to try and see the screen before finally squirming in between them and Shinra's station.  
"The sphere at the Moonflow isn't connecting...the Shoopuff must've really done a number on it." Shinra said to himself aloud.  
"Try Djose," Paine said.  
The Sphere connected this time; however no one seemed to realize that it was operating. Everyday people passed by the sphere, but none of them took a moment to stop.  
_"People...walking around in a damn daze,"  
_ Mushroom Rock Road was the next destination. The Commsphere connected, the image appeared on the screen, but it seemed that all of the members of the Youth League had returned to their HQ. At this moment Andrea became frustrated, tearing herself away from Shinra's station before making a repeat performance to it like the unfortunate cabin table. She tried her best not to curse, despite how much she wanted to; now just wasn't the time to vent.  
Suddenly Shinra squealed-quite girly too, which was funny-and jumped out of his seat as the screen blanked into snow and static.  
"What the hell just happened?" Paine asked aloud in awe, hoping someone had the answer.  
"Looks like something just obliterated another one of the spheres." Rikku replied.  
Andrea came back to the station and looked at the black screen, appearing to be in thought.  
"Can you play back the last few seconds, Shinra?"  
"Of course, what do you think I am?"  
"Just a kid?"  
"Let's rewind it and watch again,"  
After pressing a few keys the system rolled over and began to play back the last few seconds of the sphere's recording; after another keystroke it began playing. At first it was just an image of the road being empty, a small critter crawling just beneath the sphere's view. A few seconds after the creature scurried hurriedly away, there was a deep swooping noise, then something hit the sphere and the image faded back into static.  
"Play it back again...in slow motion this time,"  
Shinra repeated his previous keystrokes, but this time hitting one additional key, making the image jerk frame by frame. Andrea watched carefully, Paine and Rikku hovering behind her.  
"Freeze it...there, what is that?"  
She pointed at the monitor and everyone honed in on a band of gray stretching across the screen. It was slightly blurred and difficult to discern.  
"Can you clear up the image at all?" She asked, seeming excited.  
"I'll try something,"  
The pixels of the image refined themselves after being redefined by a few commands Shinra inputted, the image clearing and the band of gray becoming a more distinct object. Upon a now more clear inspection, it appeared to come to a point on the end; and what looked to be just an ordinary band, was in fact a hook shaped curve. It ended in a slightly upward point, then it went straight back with a serrated edge and a design of fire beneath the hooked arch.  
"Looks like a sword," Paine said.  
"I've never seen one like that though, and I've seen a lot of strange swords in my time,"  
"Looks like a weapon Auron used to carry around," Rikku added.  
"Hey," Shinra butted in.  
"Who's Auron?"  
"You guys," Shinra tried again.  
"He was one of Yuna's Guardians two years ago; he had a sword like that I think."  
"Excuse me," Shinra chanced a third attempt  
"You think they're connected somehow? Maybe we could learn-," Andrea would've finished weren't it for the sphere that bounced off her head.  
"WHAT, Shinra?!"  
"In case you guys were wondering, we have collected all ten Crimson Spheres,"  
"So,"  
"You can probably unlock the seal on the Den of Woe, which just so happens to be in the Mushroom Rock area."  
"..._SO_?"  
"Why not go there, is what I'm saying; try and find that ninny that messed up my sphere,"  
Andrea was about to tell him "No" when the TagFinder suddenly chimed. Shinra laughed slyly, rubbing his hands together in a frighteningly sinister manner.  
"Muahahaha, just as I suspected," Shinra hissed wickedly. Everyone looked at him crookedly.  
"What in the hell has gotten into you?" Rikku inquired hesitantly.  
"While you guys were gabbing I upgraded the range of the TagFinder. I found Yuna's tag and I'll give fifty Gil to anyone who can guess where it is,"  
----------  
The Gullwings were somewhat hesitant to undergo the journey to Mushroom Rock Road, thinking it would take them several days just to get there with the Celsius grounded until they could finish the repairs. However, it wasn't so once it was clear that they wouldn't have to walk. At the expense of a moderate portion of energy, Andrea called on Ixion who came diligently out of the woods, galloping with sparks in his wake. They would take the Aeon to the road, and at a much faster pace than on foot. They would be there in a matter of minutes.  
"You sure you're going to be okay?" Rikku asked, trying to speak over the wind and keep her voice steady over the jolts of Ixion's frequent jumping.  
"I'll be fine, just knocked a little wind out of me; nothing to worry about."  
"You sure; you look a little...sick,"  
"I'm fine, really."  
  
When they were in walking distance of the remains of Shinra's sphere, Andrea willed Ixion away and the Aeon disappeared. Once the daze was gone they walked to the broken contraption and looked around for clues as to who broke it and where they might have gone.  
"I think it's safe to say it doesn't work anymore," Rikku shrugged, kneeling down next the sphere, it being sliced neatly in half.  
"It had to take a great deal of strength to cut it so clean," Paine observed. "But then again, that looked like a large weapon."  
"Size doesn't matter," Andrea cut in.  
"That's not what I've heard," Rikku added. The two of them just looked at her funny and she hadn't the slightest idea as to why.  
"Back to the matter at hand; whoever destroyed the sphere wasn't at all large in size, in fact they couldn't have been much larger than you, Paine,"  
"How do you figure?"  
"Look at these footprints," Paine knelt down beside Andrea and took a look at where she was pointing. "See how the front foot made a deep mark while the one in back slid?"  
"Yeah, so?"  
"Well, just by the size of the front this person wasn't very big- that's a pretty small foot- but the way the back one slid, they had to have been using the sword correctly, with its length one would have no other choice but to push back to get enough swinging room to cut that in half."  
"I see, and by the looks of it they went into the ravine; see the trail?"  
"Yeah; well, let's follow them, maybe they know something,"  
Paine and Andrea stood up and were about to leave when something grabbed Andrea's ankle, making her fall flat on her face.  
"Ri-tard, what are you doing?!"  
Rikku had a hold of her and was looking at the bottom of her sandal.  
"Hey, they match!"  
"What match?"  
"These footprints with yours...of course yours are bigger."  
Andrea took a close look and made the same conclusion.  
"But what does that mean?" Rikku asked, deeply concerned, fretting to hear the answer.  
"We'll see, let's find the Den and work our way from there."  
  
The three of them carefully descended into the dark, mist filled ravine, taking its twisting path to its end. Casually they entered the passage, stepping up to the door of the Den. One by one they placed the spheres into their respective mantles, causing a brilliant rainbow of flashing light to shine for a split second before the door at last opened. Stagnant, pale blue mist rolled out from the threshold, soon cloaking the entire floor. Foul air followed the fog, making it quite unpleasant to breathe at all.  
"Hey, you've been in here before, haven't you Paine?" Rikku asked, coughing a little.  
"Yeah, what about it?"  
"Anything we need to know that you could tell us before we go in?"  
"If I knew that, I probably would never have wanted to come back."  
Cautiously they walked through the doors, becoming consumed in the darkness. The winding tunnels seemed to drag on and on deeper into an all consuming world of shadows and swallowing, suffocating darkness. On top of nerves and still, stagnant air, climbing numerous ledges made them all sweat as if they were stuck out in the desert.  
After ascending a very tall ledge and onto a platform that led further back into the den, they came a to a solid rock wall.  
"A dead end," Andrea muttered to herself.  
"Man, look at all these Pyreflies; it looks like they're all that's here," Rikku sighed.  
Paine seemed nervous and was pacing in a small circle, anxious about something.  
"I don't understand; what could've caused them to kill one another?"  
The three of them watched as the Pyreflies suddenly began to swarm together into large balls of misty light. Out of that light a figure manifested, a shadow outlined in an amber glow.  
"Shuyin," His name just sort of fell out of Paine's mouth.  
As the despairing specter explained his presence and how he was the cause of the Crimson Squad's destruction, the Pyreflies began spreading, surrounding them in a cloud of mystic energy. Shuyin faded and reappeared in a blinking flash behind Rikku, reaching his transparent arms around her shoulders. The Pyreflies flew and vanished inside the Al Bhed as she resisted Shuyin's influence. He managed to weasel into her head, despite how hard she tried to keep him out. She lost control of her senses, her sanity, her ability to distinguish friend from foe; in insanity she lashed out at the closest living thing.  
"Rikku, wake up, don't let him control you!" Andrea cried, dodging the thief's dagger weapons while hoping to reach her. The Al Bhed just continued attacking, swiping away at her supposed opponent without relent. Uncut she managed to sidestep most of the volleys, but she never expected Rikku to kick her squarely in the jaw, sending her toppling back several feet and down on her back. With a split lip she quickly tried to regain herself.  
Realizing quickly that the Samurai garments were suppressing her movements, she quickly shed the garb for her original dress, standing quickly enough to only lose half an inch from her ponytail as a sharp edge cut the air for her throat. Paine too had been infected and was now going by the hazed, insane instinct clouding her reasonable judgment.  
There was no other sign of Shuyin's ghost, so Andrea's first guess was that he had parted somehow; of course this was the last thing on her mind. The first was keeping Paine and Rikku from killing one another, and the second was keeping them from killing _her_. Then again, she may have her priorities a little mixed up, but who cares? Either way, she had to find a way to stop them before things get worse. They could easily cut each other down in a flash, so whatever she chose to do, she had to choose carefully.  
It took a quick yet thorough thought, but she at last had a plan. While standing between the two of them, they charged in unison. Andrea ran for Paine, jumping high, letting the warrior swing her sword in its full range. With her back slightly turned, Andrea came down, planting a foot firmly on Paine's shoulder. She forced herself from the perch, pushing Paine to fall face first into the nearest wall and over the ledge they had previously climbed to get here.  
From Paine's shoulder Andrea leaped backwards, watching as Rikku swung away at nothing below before she landed behind her. After tapping her lightly on the shoulder, making her turn around, Rikku was knocked out cold by a fierce back-swing kick striking her across the cheek.  
"Trust me," she panted to herself aloud. "It hurt me more,"  
She stood still for a moment, almost waiting for Shuyin to reappear and try to infect her too, but strangely he never showed, even after several minutes of silence. Something still nagged at her though; albeit the Pyreflies and Shuyin both had fled, Andrea still felt something haunting in the darkness.  
A dull whistle sounded from behind. Andrea heard it but it didn't register fast enough for her to move away. Heavy, ferociously sharp steel rained down from the shadow, cutting her deep across the chest, blood spilling from the wound and staining her white uniform a deep crimson red. She stumbled back, her eyes watering from the near blinding pain. She turned to face her attacker, finding her jaw falling ajar in shock.  
Though hidden behind the hideous, fang-bearing jade mask, Andrea knew well the face. The once green and blues eyes shone with amber light, Farplane energy. In Samurai dress and armed with a long sword, wickedly hooked at the end, Yuna advanced from the shadows, Yojimbo's possessive spirit leading her by an ethereal leash.  
Andrea didn't want to believe, not from the start did she even want to consider it being true. But no matter how much she wanted it to be just a bad dream she had to accept that her former savior was now her enemy.  
_"No, not now, we can't fight; I can't hope to beat him like this, I'll need the whole team to take him down."  
We can buy you time; in a sense. We can hold him off until you are able to retreat.  
"If it keeps them alive then I'm all for it; give it all you've got!"  
_ Andrea knew what they meant; the Fayth were going to "borrow" her body for a while like they had before. Little did she know it was going to be far less pleasant than when she changed into the Dragon King. This time her insides were set alight with some internal inferno, the heat growing greater with each second. Waves of heat poured from her body, she swore her skin was blistering from the great heat. Sweat spilled from her face, dripping in steady streams.  
Fire; it filled her, burned her from the inside out. The pain blinded her, forcing her back into that darkness much like Bahamut had before her.  
Ifrit gained control with little resistance, manifesting himself in a firestorm accompanied by a loud bang. The fire Aeon stared at the High Summoner with golden, black slit eyes, his muzzle crinkled and bearing fangs as waves of transparent steam spilled from his open mouth. His massive, clawed hands dug deep in the dirt; he was just itching to rip his opponent apart, leaving behind only a pile of smoldering ashes.  
** "If only it were that easy,"** The High Summoner sighed, her voice mixed with hints of the Aeon's own. "**You can't hope to defeat me, not in such a weak and volatile state. Challenge me again when you're better prepared."  
** The High Summoner casually bowed, turned around and walked back into the shadows. Ifrit roared, making the whole cavern shiver on its foundation as he pounced, claws flailing to shred the Samurai. He became frustrated and irritable, clawing and gnawing away at the solid stone of the too narrow opening that the High Summoner had obviously slipped through. Ifrit shook his head when he knew she had escaped him. Somewhat calmer, he hobbled over to the still comatose Al Bhed, nudging her awake with his huge hand.  
"Man, do you always have to hit so hard?" She whined, seeming not to be alarmed by Andrea's new appearance. She now had a beautifully swelled bruise on her left cheek.  
They found Paine sitting against the wall at the bottom where she had fallen. She had been waiting patiently for Ifrit's fire show to end so they could at last leave this hole. Slowly but surely they made it out of the Den of Woe and then out of the ravine.  
They were making their way back to the broken Commsphere when they stopped, hearing Ifrit gasping for air. They had been moving at relatively slow pace, so they couldn't understand why he sounded so winded until they looked back at him. Teetering on three legs with the fourth holding his chest, wave after wave of blood came spilling out of his open mouth, staining the ground in a large puddle.  
His energy drained, Ifrit retreated back into the darker depths of his host's psyche, allowing her to return to control. His manifestation faded along with him, allowing Andrea to become herself again, which wasn't necessarily a good thing. She felt dehydrated, hot, and it hurt to breathe. She was aware of lying on the ground, a pool of her own blood only inches away. Rikku was calling frantically for Brother and Paine was shockingly kneeling at her side, telling her again and again to stay awake.  
I know I should, she thought; but I'm so tired...I need to sleep.  
Rikku and Paine's voices became muffled and dull, just as her vision. It soon darkened and her eyes drifted shut, unable to keep them open any longer.


	8. Chapter 8

"The Jade Mask"  
Chapter Eight  
Ronin  
  
_ You must go to the Farplane.  
"I know...why can't you go yourself? If you're so damn high and mighty, why don't you take care of it?"  
We cannot.  
"Care to explain?"  
We're no better than fiends now, Vegnagun has thrown everything out of balance with his blatant movements through the realms.  
"So what?"  
We have no authority now; we cannot manage things on either side.  
"Fine, whatever; how do you expect me to stop her?"  
In any way it takes, but she must live.  
"Well, duh; I figured as much. I can only think to take off the mask, but that's going to be difficult."  
You must try, the future depends on it.  
"Yeah, well what about MY future? I've begun to notice that I'm ever so conveniently left out in all of your future plans. What the hell is all that about?"  
You need not worry yourself with such things, now you must focus on the battle ahead. You must go to the Farplane as soon as possible, liberating the rest of us as well as the High Summoner.  
"Fine. Oh, and just in case you forgot; you're all a bunch of fucking bastards."  
_ ----------  
She was awake at last, feeling relatively fine with the exception of stiffness. Slowly she got out of bed, found her repaired uniform, and left the cabin for the bridge. Upon her arrival she wasted no time in telling everyone that they had to leave as soon as able to for their next destination.  
"Is it wise to go so soon?" Paine asked.  
"We need to leave as soon as we can,"  
"Is it wise to go at all?! It's the _Farplane_-hello, come in!" Rikku protested.  
"We don't have much choice, Ri-Ri; Yojimbo took Yuna there and Shuyin is with Vegnagun also. With luck we can kill two birds with one stone and whack them all while we're there."  
"Did I mention it's the _Farplane_?! We can't just go gallivanting in and out of there!"  
"Who said we were gallivanting? Look at it this way; you care about Yuna and her safety right?"  
"Where have you been; of course I do!"  
"Then we're going,"  
"So what are we going to do about Vegnagun? There's little we can do before we have no other choice than to fight him," Paine added enlighteningly.  
"I know; I guess we'll have to go for him first."  
"You sound awfully sure that we can defeat him; got a plan?"  
"It was just a thought, I'm not even sure it'd work."  
"Do tell?"  
"Well, we know Gippal's in the Farplane right?"  
"Yeah,"  
"I was thinking; if we can find him and convince him to come along he and Rikku could take Vegnagun apart."  
"Say WHAT?! No way am I going near that thing with that boob being my only back up!" Rikku protested with a squeak in her voice.  
"It'll be fine; Paine and I will distract him while the two of you perform emergency surgery."  
"And what if we _can't_ find Gippal?" Rikku asked, sounding as if she had out thought them.  
"Then you can do it yourself; you're not so bad at fucking up machinery after that little escapade on Mi'ihen."  
Rikku grumbled a little bit and gritted her teeth as she was defeated in the conversation.  
"We're only a short walk outside of Djose; we can enter the Farplane from there."  
----------  
"That's a really long way down," Andrea noted aloud; she always was terrified of heights. _"I can't believe I talked myself so willingly into this. Retarded,"  
_ "At least you can't see the bottom," Rikku said, trying to be supportive.  
"That's the problem,"  
"Well, we're not getting anywhere just standing here," Paine reminded them, her arms crossed impatiently.  
"You're right,"  
A silent, unified count to three...then they jumped as Andrea held her breath.  
  
An endless plummet through darkness and shadow with no sign of an end; this was their journey to the Farplane that seemed to drag on for ever.  
When they thought it was just a bottomless pit, they touched ground at last. It was a stone-I guess you could call it stone-walkway spiraling downward deeper into the dark realm. With little hesitation they started down the path.  
"This place is creepier than I remember," Rikku shuddered.  
"And it's bound to only get worse," Paine sighed.  
"Don't say that, maybe it won't,"  
But it did, despite their deepest hopes. The Aeon Shiva appeared as they set foot on a platform, attacking them like any other fiend would have. The battle was difficult and as cold as hell, but eventually the Aeon fell, leaving nothing behind.  
_"I suppose if that had a crest it would be in the temple, if it isn't here that is. I'll worry about it later."  
_ They descended further, reaching a second platform where the infamous Magus Sisters greeted them with another melee. The smallest one was the first of the three to fall. With time and a great deal of effort the other two sisters were defeated, and they moved on.  
A third and final platform was a few steps ahead of them. Beyond that appeared to be the end of the pathway, but they hesitated taking any further advances.  
"You know there's something waiting for us on that empty platform, don't you?" Paine asked sarcastically.  
"Yeah I know; I like to think I'm just sort of biding my time. I'm in no hurry what so ever to get myself possibly killed; but then again, that's just me."  
After a few headshakes and shrugs, they finally forced themselves ahead, stepping down off of the path and onto the dais. The ground shook violently as a black and crimson mist formed in a circle in the middle of the floor. Up from the mist arose the final Aeon, bound and chained with one piercing eye glaring at the small humans before it. With and agonized, struggling roar he began his assault.  
Anima was certainly one of the most difficult Aeons to defeat. The magic he possessed was by far more powerful than any of the others. Perhaps Bahamut could challenge him with a slight chance of victory, but only slight. How three simple humans could do it, none of them could truly understand the possibilities.  
At the far end of the platform, a strangely colored vortex awaited them. They waited, thinking a moment before abandoning everything and just jumping in to its open arms. On the other side they appeared in the flowered glen of the Farplane, a place where until now only Yuna and Andrea had seen before. The three of them were equally surprised to see the ever aggravating Leblanc standing there, her two henchmen at her side.  
Andrea looked over the edge of the glen, down into a deep, endless purple mist lingering hundreds of feet below. Normally her stomach would've turned and she would've backed away immediately, but something about the abyss beneath was mesmerizing, almost calling for her to take the plunge into its awaiting, concealing arms. She was jarred out of her daze by her comrades calling to her; once again at their side she followed them through a portal not much different from the previous one that they had just passed through.  
On the other side was a realm of shadow, darkness, and great chaos. The atmosphere itself was in disarray, making everything therein that much more in turmoil. Off in the distance, just barely they could make out a towering, spherical mass; something was at the center of a stone and steel enclosure. It could only be one thing...that thing was Vegnagun. Faintly they could here the great weapon's haunting melody being played by a stolen set of unwilling hands. From where they now stood it looked like a straight walk upward to reach the colossus.  
"I got a hunch that from this point on, there's no turning back," Rikku said, sounding pretty serious and confident.  
"A hunch," Paine quipped.  
"That's it?" Andrea added.  
"Yeah," Rikku replied, as if her expression was perfectly sensible.  
"A hunch it is then," Paine finished.  
Andrea paused for a moment, feeling something suddenly begin to nag at her, begging her to stay right where she was for a bit longer.  
"You two go ahead...I'll catch up,"  
"What are you talking about!? What is your malfunction?!" Rikku suddenly burst out of control.  
"I just...have this feeling; I'm sure it's just nothing, but I want to be sure." Andrea replied.  
"How are we supposed to trash Vegnagun without you?!"  
"Just follow through with our original plan and everything should be fine; I probably won't be very long so I'll join you once I'm certain about this. With any luck I won't miss anything."  
"We'll be fine enough even if you don't show up," Paine said emotionlessly. Andrea could tell she was just joking by the hint of a grin lingering on her lip.  
After much reassurance the two of them went on ahead without her, making a hurried jog up the pathway towards the massive weapon that threatened there world more and more with each passing second.  
Andrea waited until they were out of site before turning right around and standing still. She wasn't retreating, nor advancing, but she only stood in wait. She felt the presence; it had been haunting her steps since they entered the more hectic realm of the Farplane. In a flash of light she changed into the Samurai Dressphere, letting the Yari rest across her shoulders.  
"You have my attention, Yojimbo," she said calmly but with sincerity. "Now come out so we can finish this once and for all."  
Up the prelude of steps the possessed Summoner ascended, the large, hooked sword on her shoulder. The amber eyes of the jade mask were shimmering bright and eerily, sending a slight shiver up Andrea's cast iron spine.  
**"You think you're ready; you think you even have a chance?"  
** "What do you care what I think? Fighting is all that matters to you, isn't it?"  
**"That and simply being able to feel...being able to exist. You haven't the slightest inkling as to what it is like to reach out for something and watch in despair as you go right through it."  
** "At least you are not a prisoner, like the Summoner and I."  
**"I'd sooner be a prisoner than a ghost." was his reply.  
** "Well I'd sooner have you let Yuna go before I have to get physical with you."  
**"You do make me laugh, I must admit. We truly aren't that different,"  
** "Stick to the point, would you? I'm giving you one last chance; leave her now before I have to evict you by force."  
**"I wouldn't dream of giving you the pleasure."** He said, sliding the weapon from his shoulder and holding it to the side, the blade touching the ground.  
Andrea simply shook her head, feeling absolutely horrible for being forced into such a hard position. She had to get the mask off of Yuna, but she didn't want to have to hurt her or worse; but it appeared that violence was her only choice. So she reluctantly took the Yari in both hands, ready for the needless bloodshed to commence.  
At first when Yojimbo forced Yuna's body to attack her, Andrea didn't retaliate. The sword she wielded was large and awkward, making the volleys slow and easy to avoid. She didn't want to fight back; she didn't want to have to hurt her to stop the mad Aeon. There had to be another way, but it was continuously failing to show itself.  
**"Fight back; I'd hate to think of you as a weakling when I kill you,"** he spat.  
Yuna lunged for her with the front of the blade, attempting to run her through. Andrea stepped to the side, sticking out her foot as she grabbed Yuna by the wrist and pulled her forward. She stumbled, nearly falling as the momentum dragged her on.  
**"Why do you not strike me?!"** he roared in frustration, turning to face Andrea.  
"Because I'm not going to harm her just because you're being the jackass."  
**"You will have no other choice eventually; it's the only way to liberate her of my control."**  
"We shall see," she replied coolly, taking a defensive stance and gesturing him to come and get her.  
As the battle proceeded, neither of them gained or lost ground to the other. Yuna's swings were easily readable and Andrea dodged with ease, and she only used the harmless end of the Yari, prevent her from injuring the Summoner but remaining armed.  
**"ENOUGH!"  
** The Aeon was at the breaking point, he could not stand to play this ridiculous game any longer. If this student of the Art refused to fight back on her own terms of free will, then he would force her to do so by his own.  
Andrea knew what was coming. He was going to execute the Zanmato again. However, with Yuna's mammoth sword, the destructive power was surely greater than before. Well, stronger or not, she was ready to receive this with open arms.  
The golden lit eyes flashed, the light intensifying several fold as Yuna charged involuntarily, the blade just inches from dragging the ground in her possessed wake. The sword began to glow with a misty, white light that grew with each of the Samurai's advancing steps.  
Andrea waited, anticipating the right moment. Sure, the technique from before failed, but she was stronger now, she could do this right. No sword was unbreakable, and the human body was capable of anything; she was going to prove it. She would break the sword and stop the Aeon. She would break the blade with her own bare hands.  
At the last possible second, just as Yuna made the swift turn before the destructive swing, Andrea threw the Yari up high into the air, leaving her hands free. The hooked blade came around, cutting the air open and leaving a white wound following behind. Andrea planted her feet securely and turned to face the weapon's edge, her hands positioned accordingly like before. She waited; the sword drawing nearer and nearer until at last she forced her palms to move, executing the difficult technique.  
Like glass she heard the steel splinter and break into rigid shards. They flew in all directions, cutting her hands and shredding both warriors' clothing to slivers and shreds. As Yojimbo stood in surprise and disbelief, Andrea turned, leaped up to catch the Yari on its descent, and brought the sharp blade down right at the center of mask.  
There was a loud metallic clang when the two collided, and a flash of amber light. The impact made Andrea's arms vibrate painfully and she could only drop the spear to the floor. She shielded her eyes form the bright golden light and listened with a wince at Yojimbo's screams of defeat mingling with Yuna's cries of pain.  
The light soon faded as well as the screaming, and Andrea was able to watch, unobstructed as the mask began to break. First a small jade chip flew away from the area of impact, then a large crack split beneath the left eye; soon the whole mask had crumbled and had fallen away.  
Yuna, now free from the Aeon's influence, collapsed to the floor on her knees, her helmet falling form her head and crashing loudly to the floor. Andrea slowly advanced and knelt down beside her, placing a caring hand on her shoulder. Yuna panted as if out of breath, but for all Andrea knew she very well could've been hyperventilating. Andrea shook her slightly.  
"You okay? Yuna, it's me, Andrea," she spoke softly.  
The Summoner was slow to reply, blinking a set of tears from her eyes before turning to look at her companion. A splitting ribbon of blood was flowing down her face from her forehead, and her skin was as pale as ever. She looked absolutely awful.  
"You came for me...I'm sorry,"  
"Don't be, I can understand your reasons for doing what you did. I would've done the same were I in your shoes. But that isn't important right now, we can talk about it later; right now we have to stop Shuyin before he blows us all to kingdom come."  
Andrea helped Yuna to her feet, taking one arm across her shoulders to give the shaken Summoner support to walk with. She grabbed the Yari as the two of them slowly made their way to reach Vegnagun.  
  
They at last reached the top where the ragtag team of global saviors was on their last legs as the spirit of Shuyin was teetering on his knees with his faithful prisoner, Baralai lying prostrate on ground created by Vegnagun's giant cannon. Shuyin was corporeal enough to wield a sword; one could easily see flecks of blood trickling across the blade's surface. Apparently they had just missed a feverish battle between the two parties, and Shuyin had utterly lost.  
"Don't tell me you understand," the spirit growled angrily.  
"Shuyin," Yuna muttered almost inaudibly. The Summoner forced herself to stand, Andrea taking a step back to give her space. Keeping her eyes trained on the tormented soul before her, Yuna was enveloped by the gentle, tender golden aura. She winced slightly as the spirit of Lenne appeared, and separated herself from the weary Summoner who had at last brought her here to her lost lover of a millennia passed. Yuna stumbled and nearly from the shock of the parting of her soul and Lenne's; she would've fallen had Andrea not caught her with Rikku's helping hand.  
"A thousand years have passed, and this moment is all we get?" he asked angrily as Lenne held him against her.  
"This moment is enough," she replied. "I don't need anything else. Let's go home,"  
"Do you think we can?"  
"That was a thousand years ago, we've come too far to look back now." Lenne told him. "Let's go, I have a new song for you." She then turned to the group, smiling slightly, and simply saying "Thank you" before departing with Shuyin to rest from eternity on together.  
  
Back in the Farplane glen, Yuna suddenly bolted into full awareness at the sound of a familiar whistle. She jerked herself free of Andrea's support and looked about frantically. Then, in a haze of Pyreflies, the small Fayth child appeared.  
"Thank you," he said.  
"You're...very welcome," Yuna replied tiredly, sounding about ready to drop from exhaustion.  
"You heard it, didn't you?" the Fayth asked. Yuna weakly nodded in reply. "You want to see him?"  
"See him?!"  
"Yes; you want to walk together again?"  
Yuna hesitated slight, not knowing whether or not to trust the Fayth again. However, knowing that her whole journey from Besaid had been for this moment, she admitted that she wanted this more than anything.  
"I can't promise anything, but we'll do what we can." And at that the Fayth disappeared.  
"What was that all about?" Rikku asked as if she had missed everything that had just happened right in front of her.  
"Personally, I couldn't care less; I just want to get out of here." Andrea announced blatantly. She was on the verge a comment about being hungry as heel, but stopped short when she felt something jerk at her. She sensed something, its presence was so close, and it made her stomach lurch.  
"What's the matter?" Paine asked. She seemed to be the only one who noticed as the others who were present were making there way through the portal to the latter parts of the Farplane.  
"I don't know; I just...feel this chill. Something's here,"  
"Maybe you're mind's playing tricks on you?"  
"No, I don't think so. I've felt this before, but I can't seem to put my finger on it."  
Andrea looked around for a moment, finding nothing that even resembled her instinct anywhere in the entire space of the glen.  
_ "Maybe my mind is just playing tricks on me,"  
_ **"I will exist again, and your deaths shall be the prelude to my return!"  
** Andrea reacted almost immediately, shoving Paine far out of the way and turning to face the spiritually corporeal Aeon. She watched motionlessly as he charged like a swift wind, unstoppable as he rammed the end of his long sword into her, piercing everything from cloth to flesh and bone. He was so quick she couldn't react in time to move.  
The pain was blinding, and the fact that Yojimbo was still flying across the field of flowers, shaking her the whole way was not aiding the searing agony. Her feet were clear off of the ground and blood was spilling from the wound in her chest. Yojimbo just continued, hell bent on making her suffer as much as possible.  
**"Now you will die!"  
** Andrea forced her eyes open and looked the warrior in the face angrily with determination blazing in her eyes.  
"But you're coming with me!"  
She knew they were near the edge of the glen, on the very barrier leading to the endless mist below. What better way to rid Spira of the rogue Aeon then to make him tag along with her into nothingness? She forced herself to latch on relentlessly to his armor, and force her feet to touch the ground. Andrea used his momentum to throw him clear over, the sword cutting a longer gash in her body, and fly beyond the glen's edge and dragging her after him. The fall seemed endless like the pain, but soon they were both consumed by the omnipotent purple mist, and darkness conquering swiftly followed.  
Rikku dashed madly for the lip of the glen, falling to her knees as she leaned over to spot something, anything. But when she reached it, the Aeon had already disappeared into the abyss below with Andrea along with him. She sat there in stunned disbelief, speechless and at a loss of all thought. It was taking time for what had just happened to sink into her mind, but once it hit, she couldn't stop a series of stray tears from escaping the edges of her emerald green eyes.  
Then, after a few moments, she regained her composure, and with one member short, they all left the Farplane for good.  
----------  
A week had gone by since the destruction of Vegnagun, and the Gullwings had just left Luca and were en route to Besaid Island. At last Yuna was on her way home to stay after two long years of traveling the world, changing little by little with each passing day.  
After being under the Aeon's control, Yuna had begun to truly appreciate having her freedom. Although one might not think being in a state of unconsciousness for nearly several weeks was much of an impact, it was for her. True, it was like being asleep while she was consumed by the mask's power, but the fact that she had no control over her actions was quite difficult to bear. Actually, she felt quite the fool for being so easily deceived by the Aeon's lies; it was almost like casting away Yevon's teachings all over again. Now that she was back to her old self again, she realized just how precious free will had become. She would never take it for granted again, that was for certain.  
Yuna found Rikku on the deck, standing near the head of it, almost on the edge where she could clearly recall having jumped from so many months ago in a drunken rage. She was certainly glad to have that behind her as well.  
"You okay?"  
Rikku seemed slightly surprised having Yuna sneaking up on her, but it didn't last.  
"Yeah, I'm fine." She sighed in reply. She certainly didn't sound fine.  
"You sure?"  
"Uh-huh, it's just...I could've learned so much more from her, you know? She seemed so sensible about the way things were, and she always knew how to explain things. I mostly miss her companionship, that's all."  
"I think even Paine will agree with you on that." Yuna laughed slightly.  
"What do you think happened to her?" Rikku asked, sounding somewhat scared.  
"Well," Yuna thought. "I like to think she finally finished her job and made it back home."  
Rikku thought about it for a moment and then found herself smiling. She looked at Yuna and they laughed together, sharing the happiness of the notion, forgetting the possibility that Andrea might be dead. Perhaps it was best that they shared a happy, yet lying dream instead of a painful truth.  
"So did the Fayth ever come through with what they said on the Farplane?" Rikku asked, now sounding much more chipper about life in general.  
"I...don't know." She replied solemnly. "I'm still listening,"  
Suddenly, Buddy's voice came echoing from the PA system. "Besaid off the starboard side," was the message. Yuna and Rikku both looked off to see the small island coming into view. As the Celsius drew closer to the shore, Yuna could just barely spot a figure standing in the shallows. She looked closely and focused as best she could, unable to believe what she thought she was seeing. Without a word she went bounding to the elevator, taking it to the engine room and opening the loading dock as the airship maneuvered over the shallows. From there she saw him standing shin deep in the crystal blue water, and she leaped from the dock, regardless that the Celsius was still airborne.  
She landed heavily, nearly falling into the water. Yuna wasted no time in running with everything she had to the awaiting arms of the man she had been searching for all this time; two lonely years, and at last they would end. She flew into his arms, relieved beyond measure to feel his body touch hers again. Last time she approached him in such a way, she went right through him, but not this time. He was here to stay now, and nothing was going to take him away again.  
They embraced each other securely, but Yuna suddenly felt slight uncertainty take her over despite the joy in her heart.  
"Are you real?" she asked.  
"I think so," he replied hesitantly. The sound of his voice, it resonating in his chest, it was Nirvana.  
She looked at him, studying him carefully.  
"Do I pass?" he asked hopefully.  
She laughed, giving a slight nod. "You're back,"  
"I am back," he looked ready to cry. "I'm home!" he embraced her tightly again, showing no signs of letting her go.  
"Welcome home...yes, home,"  
The two of them suddenly realized that the entire populous of the island was watching, and apparently just as happy to see the two of them together as they were themselves. Tidus smiled wide and took Yuna by the hand, running to join the great crowd. She followed him closely, soon taking the lead, almost dragging him to the ground.  
"Hey, you've changed!"  
"Well, you've missed a few things," she laughed.  
"I want to hear _everything!"  
_  
_"Well, it all started when I saw this sphere of you..."_

----------

Weeks went by, Yuna and Tidus sat near the old campsite in Zanarkand, watching the flaming sunset on the horizon. Yuna was tucked contently beneath his arm, leaning against him nearly asleep. This moment was just too perfect; it felt so right just to be with him like this. It felt like fate.  
"I've got a theory," he sighed absently. "I think...maybe the Fayth gathered all of my thoughts, and put them together to bring me back."  
_"It's possible...who knows with them."_  
"Or maybe...maybe I'm still just a dream."  
"So you'll disappear?!" she gasped, praying against it with all of her soul. There was no way she was going to lose him again; not now not ever. There was a long silence; when Tidus wouldn't answer her she felt as though she would die, being forced to live through two years ago all over again.  
"Cherish me, Yuna," he said finally. She let out a long withheld sigh of relief. "Cherish me, and I'll cherish you. We have to stay together, that's what we have to do."  
She smiled and hugged him tightly, snuggling her head into his chest.  
"Is that what the Fayth told you?" she giggled softly.  
"Nah, but I like it," he laughed.  
They laughed together for a while, and there was silence again. Yuna felt his arm tighten around her and he used his other hand to tilt her head up so she would look at him.  
"Yuna," he asked, sounding quite serious, and looking so.  
She acknowledged him and waited for him to finish. He cheeks turned a slight shade of red and she felt his heart quicken in his chest before he spoke again.  
"Will you marry me?" he asked bravely, his deep ocean blue eyes fixed on her.  
_"Need you ask such a question?!"  
_ "I will," she replied, smiling strongly as small tears of joy slipped form her eyes.  
Tidus sighed in relief, and as they both shared their happiness, he kissed her. Although it was his second, it felt like the first all over again, and how magical it was.  
  
And all of this over a silly sphere...


End file.
